


Memories Turn Into Daydreams

by StarSpangledBucky



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bearded Steve Rogers, Birthday, Breaking Up & Making Up, Emotional Hurt, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meeting, Fluff, Friendship, Guilt, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Injury, Love Confessions, M/M, Online Dating, Photographer!Bucky, Pre-Age of Ultron, Shrunkyclunks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 01:11:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14008914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarSpangledBucky/pseuds/StarSpangledBucky
Summary: When Bucky heard the rumours about Captain America, he took a risk. The dating profile had his name, his picture, even the bio was accurate. But with the amount of times Bucky had been catfished, he wasn’t sure. That is until on the day of the meeting, Steve Rogers himself comes into his life. It becomes as bittersweet as every love story should be…





	Memories Turn Into Daydreams

**Author's Note:**

> For the Shrunkyclunks big bang 2018
> 
> I want to say a huge thank you to kalika_999 for cheering me on this whole time. It was beginning to stress me out and you were always there with bells on to encourage me <333

 It’s too early for Bucky to be awake. For a Friday he would have preferred to lay in bed, if his head wasn’t having a mini rock concert inside, from the result of a pub crawl the previous night. He felt like he was going to throw up as he leant over the sink in the kitchen, dropping a soluble painkiller into a glass of water. However, it was worth it, given the amount of fun he'd had with his friends.

The door to his roommate’s bedroom creaked open and Bucky sighed deeply, waiting for his roommate to waltz in with no hangover. Only, when he glanced over, he was met with an unfamiliar face. He was tall, brunette, blue eyed and gave Bucky a once over, probably thinking he looked like a mess. But all he did was smirk, wink at him, then shrug his jacket on, before walking over to the door of the apartment.

“Tell your friend I had a great night.”

Bucky frowned.

“He has a-”

Before he could finish the door was slammed shut, loudly, leaving Bucky stunned but also annoyed.

“...name.”

He heard the bathroom door open slowly, followed by a loud yawn and heavy footsteps on the wooden floors.

“Mornin’ Buck.”

“Morning Hamish.” Bucky replied. “By the way, your uh guest from last night said he had a great night,” he added.

“Oh did he?”

Bucky nodded.

“Yeah, he referenced you as ‘my friend’.”

“Cheeky bloody bastard,” Hamish said, causing Bucky to snort.

“I tried to tell him you had a name. But he was out the door.”

“Aye, well, that's the last I'm seein’ of him,” he muttered.

“You're better lookin’ than him anyway,” Bucky commented.

Hamish sidled up to Bucky's side.

“Don't you start.”

“I'm not! I love your wispy red hair and pretty blue eyes. Who doesn't love that accent too,” the brunette said, while patting Hamish’s cheek.

“Piss off ya big git.”

Bucky stifled a laugh and swung his arm around Hamish’s shoulder.

“My head is killin’ me right now.”

“Wantin’ a dram?” Hamish asked, much to Bucky's complaining.

“Fuck off, I had enough last night.”

“Aye, I know ye did, yer sweet wee arse was kickin’ it on the dancefloor,” he retorted.

“No, no. Please don't say it was bad Hames,” Bucky groaned.

Hamish’s mouth curved up at the corners.

“It was like a fish oot of water, though I'm sure an actual fish would dance better than ye.”

“Thanks, you're a true friend,” the brunette grumbled.

“Ah c’mon! We've all been there lad.”

Bucky swallowed down the rest of the water in his glass, then sat it down in the sink.

“So what’s your plans for today since you don’t have a hangover to nurse?”

Hamish reached for two mugs hanging on a rack and placed them on the counter.

“Work, gym, then the movies afterwards,” he answered.

“You wanna’ meet up for lunch later?”

“Aye why not. I’ve got a few clients this morning, then I should be free for lunch,” Hamish chimed.

“Who are you planning weddings for today?” Bucky questioned, as he put four slices of bread in the toaster.

“Believe it or not, my wee brother and his partner, Seumas. That couple, Amelia and Jess we met on yer birthday last year and there's others. Not sure who they are though.”

“How come I didn't know about your brother’s wedding.” he huffed.

“They sent an email invite last week, Bucky.”

Bucky pursed his lips.

“Did they? I didn't get one.”

“Check yer spam folder, it's bound tae be in there,” Hamish said.

“I'll check later.”

“So what're you doin’ today?” he inquired.

The brunette sighed, then grabbed the mug of coffee Hamish poured out for him, taking a long, slow sip from it.

“Work.”

Hamish bumped Bucky out of the way to grab some toast.

“How's yer photos comin’ along?”

Bucky shrugged lazily.

“They're gettin’ there. I might drop in later to get some pictures. There's a lot of subject matter to cover for this exhibition so I thought I'd get candids of a workplace environment. And I think I'd capture a lot from your wedding planning business.”

“Sounds good, drop in whenever ye want,” Hamish offered. “I'm goin’ tae get showered and changed or I'll be late. Cheers for the toast,” he added.

“Um, aren't you forgetting somethin’?”

Hamish rolled his eyes and turned back to Bucky, before pecking his cheek quickly.

“Love ye buddy.”

“Love ya too,” Bucky chuckled.

As soon as his friend disappeared into his bedroom, Bucky wandered over to the couch, while balancing the leftover toast on one hand and coffee in the other. He searched the coffee table for the TV remote, failed, so he then attempted to look between the couch cushions. It wasn't until he'd overturned each one that he found it sitting in Hamish’s dog’s bed.

“How the hell did that get there?”

Nessie came sprinting down the hallway, launched herself onto the couch, then proceeded to lick Bucky's face.

“Ness, no! Bad!”

He held his hand up, pointed his finger at her and lightly tapped her on the nose.

“Not when I'm eating. Bad girl,” he scolded.

Nessie decided to lie down, with her head in Bucky's lap, eyes wide and almost apologetic. Bucky looked down at the boxer and shook his head.

“Quit givin’ me those eyes, you know I can't resist them.”

The boxer nudged Bucky's arm lightly, making him sigh.

“You're too cute Ness,” the brunette stated.

A soft meow sounded out from behind the couch, before Bucky’s cat, Magnus, jumped on top of it. Bucky held his hand out to the tabby, allowing him to brush up against his hand and down his wrist, while purring loudly. Nessie whined, as she bumped her nose against Bucky’s arm again to gain his attention.

“Hey, don’t be like that. I’m talkin’ to both of you.”

Bucky grabbed the remote from Nessie’s bed, switched the TV on, then sat back down, with his second slice of toast in his mouth.

“Nessie, stop moochin’ for some toast.”

Hamish appeared in the room, wearing a half buttoned up shirt as he shimmied into his jeans. Bucky snorted and bite into his toast, savouring the sweet taste of strawberry jam with a hint of butter. Nessie rolled onto her back, causing Bucky to laugh, almost choking himself on the toast, to which Hamish shook his head at.

“What am I gonna’ do with you three eh?”

“Love us Hamish,” Bucky said, in a squeaky voice, while waving Nessie’s paw at him.

“You're an eejit.”

“Through and through,” he chimed, proudly.

“Right, well, I'm off. I'll see ye at lunch,” Hamish replied.

Bucky waved his hand in Hamish’s direction.

“Text me when you’re free!”

When the door clicked shut, Bucky turned his attention back to the TV, where a banner displaying ‘breaking news’ in bold text was plastered on the screen. Bucky sat up straighter on the couch and turned the volume up higher, while shoving more toast into his mouth. It wasn't something he watched everyday, but, anything to do with breaking news caught Bucky's eye immediately.

_“We interrupt our daily news report to bring you some breaking news from social media sources.”_

“This better be good,” Bucky muttered.

_“Reports have surfaced that a member of The Avengers was found with a profile on a dating app. While it's unknown as to how long ago the profile was created, it’s been active for several weeks. More claims suggest that it's not who most expected...”_

“Well it ain't Stark he's already got one, I dunno’ about Barton and Romanoff. Banner, possible but also not. Sure as hell wouldn't be Rogers. All I've got left is Thor. I bet it's Thor. Wouldn't mind being matched with Thor huh?” he said, looking over at Nessie.

The boxer simply looked back at him, tilting her head at the sound of his voice.

“And...I'm talkin’ to a dog, what is wrong with me?”

_“Steve Rogers, Captain America was identified in partaking in online dating.”_

Bucky’s jaw dropped as his toast fell onto the plate,

“What?”

_“The only question left remaining is...who's the lucky woman?”_

The brunette scoffed.

“It could be a man!”

Nessie barked.

“That's right Ness!” Bucky shouted, before slapping his palm against his forehead. “I'm doing it again,” he murmured.

He stared at the image on screen, still in disbelief. _The_ Captain America had a dating profile, open for everyone to see. Yet, there was no way in hell Bucky was going to believe it for one second. With how creative and crafty some people were in the modern age, it could be a hoax...or worse. All it seemed to be, was rumours, the one thing Bucky despised the most. But now something was itching inside him, like a sense of validation.

“Shit, I gotta’ check this out, see if there's anythin’ online.”

Bucky hurried over to his that sat near the balcony door, picked up his laptop, then leapt over the couch on his way back. He opened it and waited for it to boot up from being put on sleep mode, his attention turning back to the TV where they were still reporting the story. There was a part inside him that wanted to yell at them to give him some privacy, but he in turn was being nosey by trying to find articles online.

As soon as his laptop was ready, he opened Chrome, typed _‘Captain America, online dating profile’_...and waited. It was only a few seconds before article, after article appeared in succession in the results space. Bucky couldn’t fathom how quick people were to report on things, then write full page articles about it. For a moment, Bucky felt sorry for him, but his curiosity only got the better of him.

An inkling inside him wanted to check the profile out for himself. When he opened the first article it was much the same to the news report, repeating most of the same evidence, Captain America had a profile, they were unsure when it was created and that it’d been active for several weeks. It was repeat after repeat, Bucky soon found it exhausting, before deciding to go to the dating site. _Perfect_ _Pair_ was its name, with a logo of two green pears, a simple and cheesy pun that captured Bucky's attention immediately, due to his sense of humour. He too had a profile, on the exact same site, though he’d had it for three years now. There were good dates, then the occasional bad dates, yet there was never really someone there for him, someone he could maybe have a connection with.

The site was quick to load once Bucky entered his log in, notifications and messages being the first thing he noticed. Bucky sighed in exasperation, as he looked through the people who wanted to get matched. He skipped a handful of profiles, with ones that were obviously fake, then some that gave him an unsettled feeling just by looking at them. The last thing he wanted was to end up in some kind of trouble, he knew how dangerous some dating sites could be.

“Fuck, I dunno’ if I can do this.”

Bucky’s cursor hovered over the search bar, his fingers resting on the keys, waiting to type in a specific name. He didn’t think the name would be written as Captain America, that’d be a little weird, so he typed in Steve Rogers instead. Only, he didn’t hit enter, in favour of having the cursor blink back at him. And he wasn’t getting anywhere fast by doing so.

In the end, his curiosity dissipated, in favour of panic, resulting in the brunette closing his laptop altogether. He sat it down on the coffee table, grabbed his mug of coffee and sat cross legged on the couch. Nessie had since moved onto her bed, rolled over on her back, which did stir a laugh out of Bucky, that he hid behind a sip of coffee. Magnus settled for batting Bucky in the face with his tail, with Bucky letting out a disgruntled noise of disapproval.

He continued to glare at the TV screen, playing around with all of the unanswered questions in his head. What he couldn't grasp was why it was a big deal that Captain America had a dating profile. He was a human being like everybody else, there was no point in living in a certain era without adapting to it. From what Bucky could see, Captain America was simply _broadening his horizons._ Now it was beginning to interrupt Bucky's morning routine, there was work to do, photographs to edit. But something was blocking him from that motivation.

“God dammit, I gotta’ get outta’ here,” he mumbled.

Without so much as a second thought, Bucky pushed himself off the couch, discarded the remainder of his coffee in the sink, then set off down the hallway to his room. He quickly pulled on some jeans, a shirt, and one of his many leather jackets stowed in his walk in closet. The brunette raked his fingers through his hair to tug out any knots, gave himself a once over, then headed for the door. Along the way he picked up the apartment keys, his phone, sunglasses and his wallet. Nessie and Magnus both looked at him with displeased looks on their faces, when he walked by.

“I know I said to myself I'd be here in the morning. I'm sorry! I'll be back soon. I promise. Be good.”

Bucky locked the door behind him after stepping out, placing his keys deep into his jacket pocket while he jogged down the stairs. He dropped his sunglasses down over his eyes as soon as he walked out of the shade and into the sun, the streets busy with life. Over in the distance he could make out the outline of Avengers Tower, standing high over some of the older buildings. He'd heard of the parties that Tony Stark threw there on some occasions, wishing in the back of his mind that he could be there to experience it one time. _A guy can dream_ he thought.

He noticed the quinjet flying away from the hangar, wondering who was in there, and where they were going. Sometimes he saw it flying in and out from the balcony in his room at night, the tower illuminated from top to bottom. It was a remarkable building, Bucky didn't know why he hadn't taken pictures of it yet. Though he was sure if he tried, it wouldn't equate to how he'd feel if he got to witness the interior of it. Again, he was only living in his daydreams, of events that would likely never happen.

Bucky turned away, setting his course for a walk through Central Park, then possibly buying a pastry at his favourite bakery. The pastry idea was merely his self-indulgent sweet tooth. A walk would clear his head of the negativity, as well as the ongoing thoughts about Captain America’s goddamn dating profile. Maybe, _eventually,_ his curiosity and confidence would come back, gnawing at him, and he'd finally get some answers.

_For now it all seemed so far away…_

* * *

Four days later, Bucky found himself back on _Perfect Pair._ He was lounging on the couch, dressed in his underwear and looking a little bit like a slob. An empty beer bottle sat perched on the coffee table beside another bottle, which he'd barely touched. Bucky was too busy staring at the stupid search bar again, his fingers tapping noisily on the edge of his laptop.

“C’mon Buck,” he encouraged himself.

“What're ye witterin’ on about lad?” Hamish interjected.

Bucky peered over the top of his laptop to stare back at Hamish, who sat at the other end of the couch, book and a glass of whiskey in hand. He looked over the top of his glasses, like when a teacher glanced over at you from their desk, their glasses having slid down their nose.

“Nothin’..."

“My arse. Come on, tell me,” he said.

The brunette bit down on his bottom lip.

“I'm on Perfect Pair.”

Hamish took his glasses off, then sat them to the side.

“Dinnae tell me yer lookin’ for Captain America’s profile.”

“No…” Bucky breathed out, softly.

“You're a terrible liar. Dinnae go tellin’ fibs wi’ me James.”

“Alright! I'm lookin’ for it! I was gonna’ look this mornin’ but then I panicked and left the apartment for an hour. I'm just really curious Hames,” he explained.

“Aye. I get it, but how many times have ye been flung around like a wee lassie’s toy doll because of that place?” Hamish asked.

Bucky averted his eyes to the TV.

“Hames…”

“I'm serious Bucky. I'm not pickin’ up the pieces again for ye,” he muttered.

“You don't really mean that.”

Hamish clapped his hand down on Bucky's knee and gave it a gentle shake.

“Yer right. I'd always be there for ye pal, but...be mindful this time.”

Bucky placed his hand over Hamish’s.

“I will."

“I'm gonna’ order some food. Ye wantin’ anything? My treat,” Hamish offered.

“Pizza?”

“Aye, I fancy pizza myself,” he replied.

“I'll have my usual then,” Bucky said.

Hamish nodded and stood up from the couch.

“No worries.”

After Hamish wandered outside to order pizza, Bucky brought his attention back to the laptop screen, with _Perfect Pair_ still open in a tab. It taunted him relentlessly, making him itch with small bouts of anticipation and hope. _What could go wrong if he only took a peak at it?_

“Just find out if these rumours are true, that's all I've gotta do.”

With trembling fingers, Bucky typed in Steve Rogers as he'd done three days ago, yet without much hesitation, he clicked the search box afterwards. Multiple profiles appeared on the screen, most looking obviously fake, others being different Steve Rogers. Because of course, there had to be more than one Steve Rogers in the world, given that Bucky's preferences were set for worldwide, not just the USA alone.

“Holy shit.”

He was taken aback by how many people wanted to fake being Captain America, in a way he found it wrong, and it was one of the many reasons why he had trust issues. But he knew there would be some way for him to figure out which one seemed the most genuine out of the others. The first profile at the top of the screen looked promising, given that there were over a million followers on its stats. And the fact that most of the other profiles wrote Captain America next to the name. What surprised him was the number of matches, or lack thereof. _Maybe he's a picky guy_ he thought.

“Pizza is ordered!”

Hamish walked back into the room, waving his phone in his hand, before he stopped abruptly.

“Did ye find it?”

“Uh, sort of. There's so many profiles here. But there's one that has a million followers, I think that might be it,” Bucky answered.

“Are ye positive?” Hamish queried.

Bucky glanced from the screen, to his friend, then back, as he clicked on the profile. The dating profile had his name, his picture, even the bio was accurate to how Bucky envisioned it being written, and to how it was shown on the news. It was as Hamish would say ‘the spitting image’ of the one he'd seen. Thus, began the temptation to try and get matched with ‘Steve’, despite the fact that it would most likely become like the others, discarded, or worse...ignored.

There was no telling on whether that profile was the real deal either, with a huge possibility of it being another catfish incident. The countless times it’d happened to Bucky put him off dating for months, yet he came back, willing to give it another shot. He knew, in a sense, that it wasn’t ideal, that he could do much better by meeting people in public places, if only his shyness stopped interfering. Bucky had two sides to him, outgoing and loud when he was with people he knew well, like friends and family, but shy and reserved with acquaintances. The second side to him was _definitely_ not his favourite.

“For god’s sake, press the bloody match icon already.”

Hamish was looking over Bucky’s shoulder, arms crossed loosely over his chest as he also stared at the screen, eyes moving over the words on the bio.

“I can’t,” Bucky muttered.

“Aye, ye can.”

“Hames,” he sighed.

“Look, how about this...I’ll come wi’ ye,” Hamish proposed.

“Really?”

“I’ll hang around wherever ye meet... _Steve._ See if it’s actually him. Looks pretty genuine tae me,” he said, gesturing to the profile.

“Okay, I’ll match with him, but...I’m not bein’ too hopeful. He doesn’t have _any_ matches.”

Hamish clucked his tongue.

“Maybe he isn’t interested Bucky. He might be lookin’ for somebody special.”

Bucky put the cursor back over the match icon, index finger tapping the left side of the touchpad, though not with enough force to process the action. He was beginning to panic, with doubts clouding his mind again.

“I can’t do it!” he exclaimed.

“Right, gimme that laptop.”

Hamish knelt down on the floor, while Bucky passed his laptop to him, watching his friend immediately click the icon, without a second thought.

“Hamish!”

“What? I did it for ye, now we can stop worryin’ about it until he gets back tae ye,” Hamish groused.

Bucky groaned and covered his face with his hands.

“I hate you.”

Hamish let out a snort.

“No ye don’t.”

“If you think I'm gonna’ thank you, you're mistaken,” Bucky grumbled.

“Ye will thank me, once he says yes.”

“He won't and I'm gonna’ feel like a dick,” he retorted.

“Remind me tae get ye a badge that says prize prick on it.” Hamish joked.

“You-”

Bucky chuckled and shook his head.

“I love you, asshole.”

Hamish smirked.

“I knew ye would come around!”

“You're lucky I know you so well to tell when you're jokin’,” Bucky commented.

“Aye, that's all ye’ll get from a Scotsman like me,” Hamish replied.

A smile broke out across Bucky's face.

“Wouldn't change that for a million bucks.”

“Aw, puddin’, ah ken,” he chided.

The brunette rolled his eyes.

“I'm gonna’ steal your pizza.”

Hamish sat back down on the couch.

“No ye won’t, I've got my eye on ye Barnes.”

Bucky scrunched his nose and poked his tongue out at Hamish.

“Child.”

“At heart, yeah,” Bucky scoffed.

The brunette placed his laptop down on the coffee table, in favour of reaching for his beer, as he kicked his feet up onto the couch. He wiggled his toes under the blanket sitting over Hamish’s lap, then picked up a magazine that was lying on the floor. Hamish began flicking through channels on the TV, his free hand resting on Bucky's feet.

“What socks are ye wearin’ tonight?”

“What's your obsession with my socks!” the brunette laughed.

“It isn't an obsession, I think it's quirky that ye have daft socks instead of plain borin’ ones,” Hamish reasoned.

Bucky let the magazine fall on his lap.

“They're the Highland cow socks you bought me when you went there last year.”

“They were great wee socks! Good price too!” he shouted.

“I'm wearin’ ‘em of course they're great.”

Hamish grinned happily.

“Next time I go, I'm takin’ ye wi’ me.”

“Really?” Bucky gasped.

“It'll give ye more pictures for yer portfolio.”

“Did I mention I love you!” he cried out.

“Aye, like fifty bloody times.”

Bucky snorted.

“Now you're exaggerating, Hames.”

“I keep count,” Hamish admitted.

“You are a sad, _sad_ man.”

“Remind me again who was starin’ at his laptop like a lost puppy,” he bit back.

A loud knock echoed against the front door, drawing Bucky and Hamish’s attention over to it like two meerkats.

“Is that the pizza already?”

“They're just a few streets away. We coulda’ walked there to pick it up,” Bucky replied.

“Not a chance. I wasnae goin’ oot there tae freeze my baws off.”

Bucky choked on his beer that he'd taken a sip out of.

“You gotta’ stop sayin’ that shit when I have a drink,” he laughed.

“Sorry, cannae help it,” Hamish apologised, with a shrug.

Another knock sounded as Hamish hoisted himself off the couch.

“Aye, hawd on, I'm comin’!” he called.

“C’mon old man.”

Hamish threw a cushion at Bucky and picked up the money for the pizza off of the coffee table.

“Ye cheeky wee shite.”

Bucky watched from the couch as Hamish started talking to the pizza deliverer, like he generally did. He knew his friend well, knew that he was always up for a chat regardless if said person had to get back to work. Either way. Bucky had to intervene at some point, when the deliverer looked almost bored to tears, or possibly worrying about taking to long for a short journey.

“Hamish, give her the money and get back in here. Some people gotta’ work while you're kickin’ your feet up for a night in.”

“Right, sorry lass,” Hamish chuckled.

“It's okay, I'm Daisy by the way.”

“Ah, lovely name for a bonnie lass,” he commented.

“Oh my god, Hames c’mon! Let her go!” Bucky lectured.

“Thanks Bucky.”

“No problem Dais, see ya’ at yoga on Thursday?” he asked.

“Bright and early,” Daisy said.

Hamish looked greatly mortified.

“You two know each other?”

“Yoga class you dummy,” Bucky scoffed.

“I'm really sorry.”

Daisy smiled sweetly.

“It's no big deal. I don’t meet many nice people when I deliver pizzas. But I better go.”

“Aye, thanks again,” Hamish replied.

When the door clicked shut, Bucky threw the cushion he'd been holding in Hamish’s direction.

“You're an idiot sometimes.”

Hamish grumbled under his breath and made his way back over to the couch.

“Bugger off, yer no better.”

“How!” Bucky exclaimed.

“I had to press that bloody match button for ye. Ye’d still be sittin’ on yer arse starin’ at it like an eejit.”

“We’re both as bad as each other,” he admitted.

“Is that not why we’re friends?”

The brunette chuckled softly.

“Among other things.”

Hamish smirked, then picked up a slice of pizza, only to have some cheese fall down on his shirt.

“Aw shite, this happens every time!”

Bucky let out a choked laugh while bringing his hand up to cover his mouth.

“I need tae stop wearin’ shirts at tea time,” Hamish complained.

“But if hot cheese falls on you, you'll burn your skin.”

“...shut it,” he muttered.

“You know I'm bein’ logical here!”

Hamish pulled his shirt above his head, before tossing it aside and reaching for his pizza slice again, his free hand held underneath it. Bucky leant over and prodded his belly, bringing out a snicker from his friend as he brought his legs up to his chest.

“Dinnae do that. I'm ticklish.”

“Boo, no fun,” Bucky sighed.

A chime from Bucky's laptop alerted him about a notification from _Perfect Pair._ With widened eyes. he glanced from Hamish, to the laptop, then back to Hamish. His friend had a mouthful of pizza in his mouth, so he simply titled his head towards the laptop as if saying ‘look at it’. Which Bucky did, or...was attempting to do, wiping his greasy fingers against the shorts he had on. It could be any old notification for all he knew.

He rested his laptop on his lap, opened it up, then unlocked it to bring him to the desktop. _Perfect Pair_ was already displayed in front of him, with a notification in bold text that Bucky had one new match. The brunette swallowed thickly and clicked on the icon to open his matches, with Hamish watching him curiously.

“Holy shit,” he gasped.

Hamish turned himself to face Bucky.

“What?”

Bucky was in complete disbelief when he saw the confirmation that he and Steve Rogers had indeed _matched_ with each other. All he could do was smile, there was no other reaction to the shock that he was feeling.

“Bucky, spit it out lad,” Hamish spoke up.

“He matched with me…”

* * *

_Steve contacted him only two days after they'd been matched._

Bucky was attending his weekly yoga class, with Hamish in tow, after a lot of persuasion. Everyone had been standing in the tree pose, before shortly moving into one of the warrior poses, to which Bucky heard a groan from Hamish.

“I can feel this right down tae my arse!”

A woman beside Bucky almost lost her balance from laughing at Hamish’s outburst.

“Hames, you’re gonna’ feel every muscle in your body being stretched, that means it’s workin’.”

“I’m goin' tae need a warm bath after this,” Hamish complained.

“Quit bein’ a drama queen.”

Bucky swiped his leg out under Hamish’s, throwing him off balance as he hit his mat with a soft thud.

“Oi! What was that for!” he exclaimed, while trying to hide his smile.

“Felt like doing it,” Bucky chuckled.

“Guys, focus.”

Hamish and Bucky looked up to see Daisy looking down at them, with her hands on her hips.

“Sorry Dais,” the brunette chimed.

“Ye better be sorry lad.”

Bucky frowned at his friend.

“She said you guys, y’know, the plural of guy.”

Hamish rolled his eyes and shoved Bucky playfully.

“Shut it.”

“Alright everyone, time to sit down on your mats, legs crossed and breath in and out deeply until you feel yourself relax completely,” Daisy instructed. “Also, don’t forget class has changed to 7pm on Sunday because there’s a dance class in here beforehand,” she added.

“Have ye heard from Steve yet?”

“No, I don’t wanna’ rush the guy either,” Bucky murmured, as he exhaled deeply.

“If he even is the real one. Ye cannae be sure of that”

Bucky sighed.

“I know you’re a little wary about this-”

Hamish scoffed.

“A little? Understatement of the year lad,” he corrected.

“C’mon, Hamish. I need you buddy.”

“I know ye do. I’m just sick of seein’ ye get hurt,” Hamish muttered.

The brunette leaned over and grasped Hamish’s hand tightly in his.

“That’s part of life when you take risks. I wanna’ take this chance.”

“Aye, ye might be right,” he replied.

“I'm gonna’ go get my phone, I need to check my client list for tomorrow,” Bucky said.

Hamish nodded and smiled at him, before closing his eyes and turning back to his deep breathing exercise. Bucky pushed himself up off the floor, arms stretched above his head as he let out a soft groan, then walked over to his duffel bag by the door. He fished out his phone from the front pocket, swiped his finger over the screen and typed his passcode in. The brunette almost dropped his phone when he saw an instant message on _Perfect Pair,_ though not from some creep, but from _Steve._

“Shit,” he cursed.

Bucky quickly hid himself behind a set of shelves that held extra yoga mats and everyone's bags. The brunette slid down the solid backing of the shelves, before hitting the floor, his legs tucked up to his chest. He opened the app up on his phone, then opened his messages where the one from Steve was waiting. But, he knew he still had to be wary, in case it wasn't _really_ who Bucky thought it may be. So after a few minutes to allow himself to calm down, Bucky opened the message.

_Steve-Rogers: Hi, Bucky. How are you?_

It was simple, but all the same _sweet_ to Bucky, since Steve did ask how he was. But he couldn't scare the guy off, so he decided to ease himself into the conversation, and maybe dig up some dirt while he was at it.

_Eatmyplums: Hey Steve. I'm alright, thanks. And you?_

Bucky was going to regret picking his double entendre nickname when he first signed up for the dating site. Yet Steve hadn’t mentioned it, it had to be a good sign, in some way.

_Steve-Rogers: I’m great. I know this must be strange for you. I’m sorry if it is._

What a nice guy Bucky thought, as he hid a smile behind a closed fist.

_Eatmyplums: I’ll be honest, I’m a little surprised._

He needed to try his hardest to keep his suspicions at bay and save it for the meeting day, if he ever did get to meet Steve.

_Steve-Rogers: You’re the first person I’ve matched with on here._

_Eatmyplums: Are the others that bad?_

_Steve-Rogers: You could say that. They didn’t seem as interesting as you._

Bucky snorted.

_Eatmyplums: I’m not as interesting as you think._

_Steve-Rogers: I haven't gotten to know you yet._

“Yeah and I'd like to know you too, _Steve._ ”

_Eatmyplums: I guess you have a chance now._

The brunette almost laughed too loud when Steve sent him a winking emoji.

_Steve-Rogers: Sorry, wrong one. But, I'd love to get to know you, Bucky. I gotta’ go now though, duty calls and everythin’._

Disappointment was all Bucky could feel, because he couldn't tell if he was being serious, or if he was pulling his fucking leg. He seemed slightly different to how he was when news reports and interviews were done. But, why should anyone expect him to be Captain America _all_ the time. There was _Captain America,_ and there certainly had to be _Steve Rogers,_ only, the latter was the side most people didn't want to see.

_Eatmyplums: Stay safe._

_Smooth Bucky_ he told himself.

“What the bloody hell are ye doin’ lad?”

Bucky gasped as he clutched his phone close to his chest, his heart pounding rapidly from being startled.

“Checkin’ messages,” he answered.

“Stop takin’ the piss, yer talkin’ to Steve aren’t ye?”

“I was, until you interrupted,” the brunette muttered.

“Let me see,” Hamish said.

Bucky raised an eyebrow at his friend.

“Please,” he added.

“You’re not allowed to type anythin’!”

Hamish sighed, then took Bucky’s phone from his hand.

“I won’t. Dinnae get yer knickers in a twist.”

The brunette watched his friend scan over the messages, before he handed Bucky's phone back to him.

“Yer goin’ tae keep that username?”

“Seriously? You read the messages, and that's all you have to say,” Bucky muttered.

“No, it was one of the things I planned to say. I was goin’ tae tell ye that he sounds genuine,” Hamish replied.

“You think so?” he asked.

Hamish lightly slapped his hand down on Bucky’s shoulder.

“Pal, I know so.”

The brunette glanced back at his phone as Hamish left him to his own devices, it was _his_ choice to what he did next regarding Steve. He stood back up and meandered back to his bag, eyes still focused on his phone, reading over the brief conversation again. His father had always told him “there’s no time like the present”, an idiom he’d heard so many times, yet one he’d taken onboard. And when his phone alerted him, there was a sense of excitement rushing through him.

_Steve Rogers: Don’t be afraid to contact me, I’d love to talk to you, Bucky._

It was then that Bucky made his decision, almost instantly.

* * *

_Eatmyplums: I think it’s ‘bout time we meet Steve_

_Steve Rogers: Are you sure?_

_Eatmyplums: Two weeks was long enough for me to make up my mind_

_Steve Rogers: I’d love to meet you, but I dunno’ when I'll be free_

_Eatmyplums: The world won't be needin’ saving everyday. What do you even do when that happens anyway?_

_Steve Rogers: Read, or sketch_

_Eatmyplums: Y’know, us meetin’ could give me a chance to see those sketches_

_Steve Rogers: True…_

_If you're really sure ‘bout this, I am too. Why don't we meet on Saturday?_

_Eatmyplums: When and where?_

_Steve Rogers: Does noon at the fountain at Bethesda Terrace work for you?_

_Eatmyplums: I gotta’ do some work related things in the mornin’, but I can have ‘em finished early_

_Steve Rogers: Your work won't be needin’ done everyday y’know_

_Eatmyplums: Ha-ha, you're hilarious_

_Steve Rogers: I'm lookin’ forward to meetin’ you, Bucky. All I can hope for is that it's gonna’ go okay_

_Eatmyplums: Me too, Steve...me too_

* * *

Nothing could have prepared Bucky for meeting Steve, not a single _damn_ thing. Not even having Hamish walking silently beside him quelled the nerves, that were making him doubt _everything._ He couldn't concentrate when he arrived at work in the morning and projects were left unfinished or barely touched. Nothing could distract him from what he thought was the ever impending doom of meeting Steve, or the sheer embarrassment of being stood up.

“Are ye second guessing yerself?” Hamish asked.

“No, I just-” Bucky paused, as he tucked his hands into his jacket pockets. “...what if it's not him,” he added.

Hamish smiled sadly and swung his arm around Bucky's shoulder.

“Ah James, c’mon, we've been over this. I'll kick his arse for stringin’ ye along.”

Bucky chuckled softly.

“Wouldn't doubt that for a second.”

His friend slapped him lightly on the chest.

“I mean it. Ye deserve all the happiness in the world.”

The brunette's face softened.

“Hames...”

“Dinnae start greetin’ now,” Hamish teased.

“I won't. I just appreciate everythin’ you say.”

“Hm, aye, I know,” he said.

As they approached the opening to the fountain, Bucky began taking deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Hamish squeezed his arm and held him a little tighter to his side, letting his hand rub up and down his friend’s arm to comfort him. Bucky was surprised that he even got as far as he did, what with all the burning questions going on inside his head. This was the moment of truth for him, whether he’d _really_ been talking to Steve, or some sad person with no respect for other people’s feelings.

“Did he mention anythin’ about what he was wearin’?”

“Uh, a brown leather jacket,” Bucky replied.

“That helps. I’ve seen five bloody people with brown leather jackets already.”

“But were they tall and blonde?” he retorted.

“Eh...no,” his friend murmured.

Bucky shook his head with a laugh.

“Exactly.”

Hamish stopped in his tracks, then dropped his hand from Bucky’s shoulder to search the crowds of locals and tourists. Bucky also looked around him, in every direction, trying to find the blonde, this so called _Steve Rogers._

“There! Is that him?” Hamish asked.

Bucky followed Hamish’s gaze to the left side of the fountain, eyes squinting under the midday sun, to which he relieved by holding his hand above his eyes.

“Holy shit…”

Sitting on the edge of the fountain, watching people pass by with content on his face...was Steve Rogers himself.

“Holy shit it’s him,” Bucky breathed out, before turning away.

Hamish quickly stilled him by grabbing his arms in a gentle grip.

“Hey hey. What’s the matter lad?”

“I just...this was a bad idea,” he whispered, with a shaky tone to his voice.

“Alright Bucky, breathe with me, nice and slow.”

Bucky swallowed thickly and drew in a sharp intake of breath.

“Hames I can’t do this.”

His friend shook his head and wrapped Bucky into a warming hug.

“Of course ye can. I know yer worried about the whole you being _you_ and him being _him._ But maybe this’ll be ye gettin’ tae know know the real Steve, unlike how he’s shown on the media. Bucky, ye’ll be fine and I can feel that it’s gonnae go well. If ye had the chance tae change yer fate, would ye? ” Hamish encouraged.

Bucky laughed against Hamish’s shoulder.

“Did you just quote Brave?”

“Maybe...in my own wee way,” he said.

“You’re such a dork…”

Hamish pushed Bucky back and held him at arm’s length, both hands resting on the brunette’s shoulders.

“Now get over there and have a good time.”

Bucky’s shoulders slumped as he exhaled deeply, then glanced over his shoulder to look at Steve. The blonde was staring down at his phone, before putting it back into his pocket and looking around the throngs of people.

“Okay. I’ve got this.”

“I’ll be a phone call away if ye need me,” Hamish offered.

He let go of Bucky and ushered him in the direction of Steve, deciding to stand there until he was sure Bucky would be okay.

“Good luck lad,” he whispered.

Bucky slid his clammy hands into his jacket pockets, while trying to prepare himself for what he should say to Steve. _Did he simply say hello? Or did he say something completely different?_

“C’mon Buck, you’ve done this so many times.”

Every moment of doubt and nervousness Bucky had felt, slowly drained away when Steve made eye contact with him. The smile that grew on his face sent Bucky’s mind reeling and his heart racing. Nobody had given him that feeling before, at least...not on the their first meeting. Bucky had always heard stories from his mother that she knew his father was _the one_ when her heart raced. Though he also knew that everybody reacted differently, that sometimes an instant reaction was never a telltale sign. Thus, for now, his reaction was... _debatable._

“Hi Bucky,” Steve greeted, as he stood up, eyes still locked on the brunette’s.

Bucky choked in response to Steve’s greeting, on what, he wasn’t quite sure. But the fact that it even happened, caused the uncontrollable heat to rush to his cheeks. Steve only stared back at him with concern on his face, as Bucky covered his mouth and averted his gaze.

“Sorry-I...hi.”

Steve smiled softly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah I just...I’m surprised that it’s you,” Bucky replied, before lowering his hand.

His reply seemed to perplex the blonde.

“Can I be honest with you?” he asked.

“Of course.”

Bucky awkwardly fidgeted with the zip on his jacket, then brought his gaze back up to Steve’s.

“I kinda’ thought you were catfishing me.”

Steve raised an eyebrow, curiously.

“Catfishing?”

“Never heard of it? It's when someone pretends to be someone they’re not. I thought somebody was pretending to be you. It’s happened to me too many times for me to not be cautious, and I asked my best friend Hamish to come with me just in case. I’m sorry I shouldn’t be assumin’-” Bucky paused, after a warm hand rested on his arm.

“Bucky...it’s okay. I understand. I figured it’d be a little confusin’ for you on whether it really was me. But I’m glad you were honest with me.”

Bucky bit down on his bottom lip, while managing a smile.

“If anythin’, I’m relieved that it is you.”

“Is your friend still here?” Steve questioned.

“Uh, yeah, he’s probably makin’ sure I’m fine.”

Steve glanced up to see someone watching them from the entrance to the fountain, who he could only assume was Bucky’s friend. He sent him a small wave, to which a salute was given to him in return, like a sense of mutual respect and reassurance. Once Hamish had turned and left, all the attention was back on Bucky, still appearing as if he was processing their first meeting.

“Y’know...you look a little different in person.”

Bucky's brows knitted together at Steve's response.

“Is that a bad thing?”

The blonde shook his head with a chuckle.

“No. ‘Cause your profile picture doesn't do you justice at all.”

“Wow,” Bucky snorted.

“What?”

“Layin’ it on thick on our first meeting Captain,” he chided.

“Please, Bucky,” Steve said, sounding somewhat troubled. “Call me Steve,” he added.

 _Oh_ Bucky thought, as Steve's reaction clicked with him immediately.

“I didn't know that bothered you so much.”

Steve sighed deeply.

“It's not that, I only want someone to see me as I am now. Not...Captain America. I'd like someone to see me as _Steve._ ”

Bucky nonchalantly placed his hands against his chest, with a smile tugging at his lips. Steve wanted him to get to know the real Steve, not the _Steve_ that the media claimed he was.

“I'd really like to get to know the real you, Steve.”

“You would?” Steve murmured.

“Nothin’ would make me happier,” Bucky answered.

Without warning, Bucky was pulled into a warming embrace, Steve's strong, muscular arms wrapped tightly around him. He stood stock still, with his hands held down at his sides and his eyes widening a fraction. Their bodies were so close together, chest to chest, along with the warmth radiating off Steve like a furnace. He smelt like the candle Bucky burned when he did yoga at home, the faint, calming scent of cedarwood all to familiar to him. Bucky found himself reciprocating the hug, hands placed in the middle of Steve's back.

“Thank you Bucky,” he said.

Bucky grinned widely, as he and Steve parted from the hug, with the distance between them still fairly close. Steve smiled back at him sheepishly and took a small step back, putting some reasonable distance between them.

“Sorry, I don’t wanna’ crowd you.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” the brunette chuckled. “Should we? I mean...do you wanna’ go for a walk? Or sit here?” he queried.

“Let’s go for a walk.”

There was a connection, Bucky could feel it, strong and almost like a force that was pushing him towards it. Already he felt comfortable around Steve, the panic swept away by the blonde’s smile and welcoming personality. If anything, he was eagerly ready to uncover who the man behind the shield _truly_ was. And as he walked beside Steve, watching him intently, he could see just how calm the blonde was feeling. Bucky couldn’t imagine what it’d be like to feel the need to watch your back twenty four hours a day.

“So Steve…”

“Hm?” Steve hummed.

“Did you grow up in Brooklyn?”

“Sure did. What about you? Where did you grow up?” he asked.

“Brooklyn,” Bucky uttered.

Steve laughed in disbelief.

“C’mon man.”

“I’m serious! I was there until I was twenty three, now I’m here in Manhattan,” he explained.

“I believe you.”

Bucky put his hands in his pockets as they casually strolled over to the lower level of the Bethesda Terrace, roughly scraping the toe of his shoe on the ground.

“Have you been back to Brooklyn since you woke up in this twenty first century world?”

“Yeah, about four times. Everything’s changed…” Steve said, sadly.

The blonde turned his head to look at Bucky when he felt the brunette’s hand touch his upper back.

“Nothin’ stays the same Steve.”

“I know. I’ve had my time to adjust, it’s not all bad. Nice food, new places to see, technology,” he stated.

“No kiddin’, ‘cause you’ve got a dating profile and all,” Bucky teased.

Steve groaned and rolled his eyes.

“Gimme a break, I wanted to see what it was like.”

“Yet you probably had thousands of matches and only matched with me,” he chided.

“Well...you stood out from the rest. I felt somethin’ when I looked at your profile.”

Bucky’s heart started beating faster, much like when Steve looked up to smile at him when he’d approached him. Maybe what his mother had said to him all those years ago was...the truth.

“I-that’s really sweet Steve.”

“You seemed like somebody who wouldn't expect me to be standing there in my uniform to greet you,” Steve replied.

“Y’know what made me immediately see how genuine you were about this? The  fact that you weren't tryin’ to hide, you were blending with the crowds of people like any other local or tourist that visits here. It showed me that you cared enough to be out in the open like this,” Bucky commented.

“I think those days are over, it's better to blend than disguise yourself. Unless it's needed,” he said.

Bucky let out a snort.

“I could imagine you tryin’ to disguise yourself with a cap and some sunglasses. ‘Cause really, that isn't gonna’ work.”

Steve pursed his lips.

“What if I grew a moustache?”

“You can keep that moustache to yourself,” the brunette huffed out, much to Steve's amusement.

“Would I look good with a beard?”

Bucky's brow raised slightly.

“Yes. Please grow a beard Rogers.”

“No promises, but I'll try, maybe,” Steve jested.

He reached over and slid his arm around Bucky’s shoulders, no hesitation and no second guesses, letting his hand fall comfortably in place.

“Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Bucky breathed out, before snaking his arm around Steve's waist. “More than okay,” he admitted.

“When's your birthday Bucky?”

Bucky wasn't sure what questions they'd be asking, yet he'd take any question he could get. Simple questions were always a good starting point for him.

“In two weeks, on the tenth.”

Steve nodded in response.

“What about you? Fourth of July isn't it?”

“Yeah. I'm ninety eight, gonna’ be ninety-nine,” Steve scoffed.

Bucky bit back a laugh.

“Biologically you're only in your early thirties I bet.”

“Thirty two, turning thirty three, seems right,” he confirmed.

“I'm thirty three right now, so I'll be thirty four in two weeks. So if I was born around your time then-” Bucky paused. “...holy shit, I'd be a hundred!” he exclaimed.

Steve threw his head back, laughing loudly as his hand squeezed tighter on Bucky's shoulder.

“It's not funny Steve I'd be old but not look or feel like it!”

The blonde tried to stifle his laughter, yet failed miserably when a few chuckles still slipped out.

“I’m sorry. But your reaction was funny.”

“I’m having a crisis,” Bucky sighed, in a melodramatic tone.

“I will actually be the triple digits next year, I think _I_ should be havin’ the crisis,” Steve protested.

“Hmm, I’ll give you that one,” the brunette drawled.

They continued to walk through the lower level of Bethesda Terrace at a leisurely pace, admiring the architecture as they went along. Steve looked the most impressed out of the both of them, given that Bucky had been to the area more than once.

“I’ve never been here before, but it’s amazing.”

“I come here a lot, either on my own or with Hamish. We’re basically walking through what we call the ‘arcade’. All of this started getting constructed in 1859, right through the Civil War and was completed in 1863. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux were the designers for the terrace, who said they wanted it to be a place for people to enjoy nature and host social gatherings. And the theme they designed on the terrace is the four seasons, y’know, spring, summer, fall and winter. Also, the sculpture in the middle of the fountain was constructed in 1868 by Emma Stebbins,” Bucky rambled.

“You sound very interested in history.”

“Oh, uh...sorry, I ramble when it comes to architecture. I’m a photographer so I take a lot of photos of architecture for my portfolios. Then on the side I’ll look into the history of my subject matter,” he explained.

“Really?” Steve answered, with a look of surprise spread across his face.

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

“Yeah, that’s the career I decided to go with.”

“I’d like to see your portfolios sometime. Maybe I could show you my sketches in return?” he offered.

“You sketch?”

Steve nodded.

“Used to do it a lot before I went into the ice. I’ve got two sketchbooks full.”

“Do you draw from memory or from reference?” Bucky questioned.

“Both. I’ve drawn people from memory, and then I’ll have sketches of buildings in the city when I’m sitting somewhere to relax.”

“Yes! I’d love to see them!” he shouted, excitedly.

Steve elicited a snort as he leant closer to Bucky.

“Your voice echoed you know,” he hummed.

The brunette scoffed loudly.

“I’m excited to see your sketches I can’t help it.”

Bucky and Steve journeyed up the wide staircase at the end of the arcade, while taking in the nature surrounding them. Bucky turned his head to the left, spied an ice cream vendor shielding himself under the shade of a tree, which put an idea into his head. He moved out of the comfort of Steve's arm around him and held his hands out to stop the blonde, hands pressed to his chest. _Fuck, he's solid_ Bucky said to himself, before putting his attention back on Steve.

“Wait here.”

Steve’s eyes followed the direction in which Bucky was going in, before his phone chimed, startling him as he quickly pulled it from his pocket. There were texts from Sam, Nat and Tony, all asking how his ‘date’ was going. Steve didn't exactly want to call it a date, not yet, it was only a first meeting, and a time for him to get to know Bucky. So he ignored the texts, then shoved his phone back in his pocket at the sound of approaching footsteps.

“Here,” Bucky chimed.

He handed Steve a small tub of ice cream with a spoon sticking out of it, sporting a pleased smile on his face. Steve took the tub in his hand and looked down to see two scoops of cookies and cream, sprinkled with chocolate pieces. One eyebrow rose up as he looked back at Bucky, whose face fell a little.

“How did you know this was my favourite?”

“You looked like you were a cookies and cream guy. And I’m guessin’ you’ve tried a lot of ice cream to see if it’s changed,” he said.

Steve smirked faintly.

“I have. And I haven’t found anythin’ decent yet.”

Bucky scooped some ice cream onto his spoon and ate it contently.

“Trust me, this’ll blow your mind.”

“I dunno’ if I should believe you,” Steve teased playfully, before spooning some ice cream into his mouth.

“Well?”

“Mmm, okay, I changed my mind. This is great,” he marveled.

“I’m glad you like it,” Bucky murmured, through a mouthful of ice cream.

Steve stared at Bucky, with an amused grin on his face.

“What?” the brunette grumbled.

“You have a little-”

The blonde paused, then gestured with his finger to the corner of his own mouth. Bucky frowned back at him and attempted to wipe ice cream from his mouth, but missed it completely. His attempt caused Steve to laugh, as he pulled the napkin out from under his tub and stepped closer to Bucky.

“I’ll get it.”

Bucky kept his eyes focused on Steve, feeling the napkin brush against the corner of his mouth, while trying his best not to blush again. It was never an easy task for him, a lot of things, even the simplest of compliments would turn his cheeks pink. Steve’s eyes found his after moving his hand away, with his breath ghosting inches away from Bucky’s face. There was a part inside of Bucky that desired to kiss Steve, although, half of his conscience was telling him not to, the other telling him the complete opposite. It was then that Bucky always felt so conflicted with what action he should take next. However, the guilty side of his conscience always won out, so he cleared his throat and tried to put on a brave face by flashing a weak smile.

“Thanks Steve."

Steve seemed to falter for a moment, like he was bringing himself back to reality, his eyes blinking rapidly.

“Sorry,” he apologised.

“Don't need to apologise. You wanna’ keep walking?”

The blonde nodded, before decided to finish off the rest of his ice cream.

“Where to?”

Bucky took the tub from Steve, then sat it on top of his, before depositing them in the trash. He folded up a spare napkin, slid it into his pocket and pushed some of his hair away from his face that'd blown over from a gust of wind.

“We can walk through The Mall, it'll take us to Wollman Rink. Do you like ice skating?” Bucky asked.

“I've never tried it…”

The brunette's mouth twitched into a wicked grin.

“Well there's a first time for everythin’. Don't worry, if you fall on your ass I'll help you back up,” he added.

“That's not fair,” Steve groused.

Bucky’s nose scrunched up when he snickered

“C’mon, it happens to a lot of people. You won't be the only one.”

A brief moment of silence fell over them as Steve thought the idea over, until he let out a soft sigh.

“Alright. Let's do it,” he responded.

Bucky clapped his hands together.

“This is gonna’ be fun.”

Steve frowned.

“Don't make me regret it.”

“Oh I won't,” Bucky drawled, as he winked at Steve.

They started walking in the direction of the ice skating rink, allowing silence to fall between them. That is, until Steve decided to speak when a sudden, impulsive thought made its presence known.

“Bucky.”

“Yeah Steve?” the brunette replied.

“Do you wanna’...go on a date, after this? Maybe on your birthday…”

Bucky could tell by the waver in Steve's voice that he was feeling nervous, and most likely mulling over in his head why he asked so suddenly. So he stopped Steve by gently grabbing his arm, facing him directly, while Steve continued to glance elsewhere.

“Steve look at me.”

Steve tilted his head up to meet Bucky's eyes, swallowing thickly as Bucky rubbed his hand up and down the blonde’s arm.

“Are you sure about you're askin’ me? We just met and I don't wanna’ pressure you into thinkin’ we need to rush.”

“I-Bucky...it's not that. I just...enjoyed talkin’ to you before we met. You made me feel comfortable when I was actually freaking out at tryin’ to impress you. Now we've met and I feel closer to you, I want to know more about you, but I don't feel like we can share that all in one day. So yes, I am sure,” Steve confessed.

“Wait a minute... _you_ were tryin’ to impress me?” Bucky said.

“You're making he sound bad,” he sighed.

“No, no. Not at all. I think that's real sweet Steve,” the brunette gushed, as he grinned happily.

Steve smiled sheepishly.

“Is that a yes then?”

Bucky drew his bottom lip in with his teeth, staying deep in thought, before releasing his lip slowly.

“I'd like that. A date sounds great.”

Steve's eyes brightened at Bucky's response.

“On your birthday?”

The brunette nodded.

“Sounds perfect.”

“Alright...we goin’ ice skating or what? So I can wipe the floor with you,” Steve taunted, jokingly, causing Bucky to gasp.

“Oh you're on Rogers!” he sniped.

Bucky followed after Steve who was a few paces ahead of him, bumping his elbow against the blonde’s when he stepped closer to him. Steve peered at Bucky from the corner of his eye, then looked down at Bucky's hand swinging freely at his side. He slipped his hand underneath Bucky's, without a hint of hesitation, and slowly entwined their fingers together. Bucky flinched for a brief second, looked down, to again finding himself turning a deeper shade of red, as he exhaled the breath he'd been holding in. Steve's mouth curved up at the corner, and Bucky lightly bumped their joined hands against their hips, before parting his lips to speak.

“I'm thankful that we met each other.”

Steve's chest warmed at the sentiment, because he knew Bucky meant it.

“Wouldn't give up this chance for anythin’ else, Buck…”

* * *

“Hames!”

Bucky rushed out of his bedroom, holding two shirts in his hands, looking a little lost and panicked. Hamish peered over his shoulder from where he sat at his desk, to see his friend giving him the deer in the headlights stare. He sighed and pushed his glasses back up on his nose, before standing up from his chair.

“Ye cannae decide can ye?”

“No, please help me. This is a big deal,” Bucky begged.

“Aye I know.”

“I know you're annoyed that you wanted to do somethin’ tonight for my birthday. And I'm sorry I forgot to tell you about my date with Steve,” he mumbled.

“Ah, shut yer face,” Hamish grumbled, as he stopped in front of Bucky. “I spent all day with ye, we can go bowlin’ and whatever any night we want,” he added.

“Hamish…”

Hamish shook his head slowly.

“C’mon, ye’ll be happy tae see the back of me.”

“You keep thinkin’ that,” Bucky chided.

“Gimme the shirts.”

Bucky passed the shirts over to Hamish, who mulled over them for a few minutes, before stealing some glances Bucky’s way. He held up each shirt in front of the brunette, then threw the grey shirt to the side in favour of the dark blue one. His friend eyed him suspiciously as Hamish grinned, with some pride in his smile.

“You’re sure about this one?” he asked.

“Aye, it’ll bring out yer eyes,” Hamish replied.

The panic on Bucky’s face softened immediately.

“You have no idea how grateful I am that you’re here.”

Hamish chuckled and waved his hand dismissively

“Ach, away.”

Bucky began unbuttoning the shirt when there was a loud knock at the door.

“Fuck he’s here.”

Hamish rested his hands on Bucky’s shoulders, turned him around and pushed him towards the hallway.

“I’ll get the door. Go get changed, wear a pair of yer nice dress pants wi’ that.”

“Yes mom,” Bucky retorted.

Before Hamish could throw a comment back, Bucky had already hurried down the hall to his bedroom, door slamming shut on the way. Hamish rolled his eyes and made his way over to the door, where Nessie was sitting, whining, as her bum wiggled against the floor.

“Alright wee lamb, shift yer arse I need tae answer the door.”

Nessie huffed, but stayed closeby Hamish’s side when he opened the door to reveal Steve. The blonde stood on the landing of the fourth floor of their apartment, dressed smart but casual, in a black blazer, grey button up and dark jeans. Hamish could see a bouquet held in one arm, with good choices of flowers, given that he’d grasped the knowledge of flower arranging since becoming a wedding planner. He opened the door further, flashed Steve a smile and held his arm out to his side the welcome him in.

“Come in Steve.”

Steve smiled widely.

“Thanks.”

Before he could even get inside the apartment completely, Nessie was at his feet, sniffing him.

“Oh um...sorry pal, just give her a minute. She likes tae sniff strangers before they come in.”

“That’s alright. Hello beautiful girl,” Steve cooed.

Nessie’s ears perked up, as she started to wiggle her rear again, excitedly replying to Steve with a noise, that was somewhere between a howl and a growl.

“She likes ye. C’mon in lad,” Hamish said.

Steve stepped inside, then turned back to Hamish after the door was closed behind them, his left hand holding a bag out in front of him.

“Bucky said you liked anythin’ alcoholic.”

Hamish barked a laugh.

“Is that right?”

He took the bag and peered inside to see two bottles of whiskey sitting inside.

“Two!”

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure what one you liked, so I picked the top two highest selling whiskey in Scotland,” Steve answered.

“Aye, but Bell’s _and_ Johnnie Walker? It’s too much,” Hamish muttered.

“Really, it’s no big deal. Consider it a gift,” the blonde offered.

Hamish smiled, then clapped his hand down on Steve’s shoulder.

“Yer welcome here any time.”

Steve looked down at his feet after feeling a wet nose bump his hand, to see two beady brown eyes staring up at him.

“What’s your dog’s name?”

Hamish glanced over his shoulder after setting the whiskey down on the kitchen counter.

“Oh. Her name’s Nessie, ye know, like the Lochness Monster,” he replied.

“Is that even true?”

He received an uncertain look in return.

“Eh? The Lochness Monster? Nah, but I like tae mess wi’ people anyway. Then again, ye’ve had bloody alien things here in Manhattan and Norse gods, I wouldn’t be surprised now.”

“Yeah...I guess there’s some things you don’t want to believe in but sometimes you need to when you see them first hand,” Steve uttered.

“Have a wee half wi’ me while we wait for Bucky? But aye, I get what ye mean.”

“Sure, it doesn’t do much for me, but I like the taste of it,” he laughed, putting the bouquet down on the counter.

Hamish snorted as he screwed the lid off the Bell’s and poured some into two glasses.

“I know yer probably expectin’ some shovel talk from me. But I just want ye tae know that Bucky’s important tae me. He’s like my wee brother and I love him loads. I’ve watched him gettin’ lied to and taken advantage of more times than I can count. So please don’t lie to him, ever. Dinnae give me an excuse tae smack ye hard in the gob,” he warned.

Steve picked up the glass that Hamish slid over to him, before they raised their glasses and clinked them together.

“Cheers.”  

The blonde placed his drink down after taking a small swig.

“That's pretty tame shovel talk from other stories I've heard. But I want you to know that even though Bucky and I have known each other for a short time, I do care about him. A lot of people see me for Captain America, they don't see anyone else, so it kinda’ makes it hard to date. Then there's Bucky who just sees me as Steve Rogers, and I dunno’ how to explain how happy I am about that.”

Hamish's mouth twitched into a warm smile.

“He’s dealt with some shite people. But yer givin’ him a chance, makin’ him happy. That's all I could ask for. Thing is he won't just be somebody for ye tae feel attraction for, he'll become yer friend along the way. Lad has a heart of gold, and puts others before himself mostly too. Couldn't have asked for a better best friend ye ken?”

Steve nodded.

“I understand what you mean. And I'm lookin’ forward to gettin’ to know him more.”

“Oddly enough, I trust what yer sayin’,” Hamish chuckled, faintly.

“So should I have Bucky home by ten?”

A choked sound came out of Hamish’s mouth, as he covered his mouth to stop himself from spitting whiskey out, eyes screwed shut. He swallowed the liquid quickly and leant over the counter, sputtering out a burst of laughter.

“Sorry,” Steve apologised, with a smirk.

“Nah, yer alright pal. I like someone wi’ a sense of humour.”

Suddenly, from the hallway, Bucky cleared his throat to gain Hamish and Steve’s attention. Steve glanced over at Bucky, with his lips parting to speak, only to have his words fail him in favour of looking at the brunette in awe. Bucky rested his hands on his hips, jumping between looking at Steve, then Hamish.

“You both just gonna’ stare like a pair of idiots or do I have to knock it outta’ ya?”

Steve downed the rest of his drink, smoothed down his shirt, then picked up the flowers from the counter and walked over to Bucky.

“You look amazing. And these are for you.”

“Aw, Stevie, you didn’t have to get me flowers,” Bucky chimed, as he took the flowers in his hands. “They’re beautiful, thank you,” he said.

The brunette stepped forward to press a kiss against Steve’s cheek, lips brushing some neat stubble, which put a smile on Bucky’s face.

“You look hot, just sayin’.”

Steve felt his cheeks heat up.

“Thank you Buck.”

“I feel like a dad during prom night,” Hamish cut in, with his phone held up in his hand.

Bucky groaned.

“Hames.”

“What? C’mon, just one picture you both look like stunners,” he complimented.

“Fine! Just one…” Bucky groused, putting the flowers back on the counter.

Steve snaked his arm around Bucky’s waist, drawing him in closer to his side, fingers nestling into the curve of Bucky’s hip comfortably. Bucky leant into Steve and rested his hand just under the blonde’s chest, flashing his biggest, goofiest smile, in spite of Hamish wanting a ‘nice’ picture.

“Bucky!”

“I said one, that’s all you’re gettin’!” he protested.

“Ah, ye wee bugger ye.”

Bucky snickered.

“We should probably go now, I booked our table for seven,” Steve interjected.

The brunette nodded thoughtfully.

“Right, sorry. I know it’s not far but still wouldn’t wanna’ be late.”

Hamish cleared his throat, then poured himself another drink.

“You kiddies have fun okay?”

Bucky hugged Hamish tightly and kissed him on the cheek.

“We’re not five Hames, but we’ll try not have all the fun without you,” he taunted, playfully.

“Aye sure, go on, out.”

“Are you sure you’re gonna’ be okay here on your own?” Bucky asked.

“I have Nessie and Magnus tae keep me company. Besides, I’ve got a wee night in planned,” Hamish replied.

“Someone you met on Grindr?” the brunette said.

Hamish narrowed his eyes.

“Yes, now bugger off, he’ll be here soon,” he grumbled.

“Okay we’re goin’! C’mon Steve.”

Bucky took Steve’s hand in his and led him towards the door, farewelling Nessie and Magnus along the way.

“I’ll be back later.”

Once they were outside the apartment, Bucky stopped Steve with some gentle pressure on his chest from his hand.

“Hamish didn’t threaten you did he?” he questioned.

Steve shook his head, while eliciting a soft chuckle.

“No. He was welcoming and gave me some light shovel talk.”

Bucky exhaled in relief.

“Good. I didn’t want him to scare you off. Like, you’ve seen the beef on him, he’d have no problem going toe to toe with you.”

The blonde agreed with Bucky wholeheartedly.

“His biceps are _huge._ He’d probably wanna’ go toe to toe with Thor.”

Bucky snorted.

“I’m pretty sure Thor would knock Hamish into the next galaxy.”

Steve shrugged languidly.

“Hey if he ever wants to visit all of the Nine Realms…”

“Steve!” Bucky cackled.

The pair started to make their way over to the elevator, fingers wrapped tightly around each other’s hands, with barely any space between their bodies. Steve allowed Bucky to step into the elevator first, but followed close behind and pressed the button for the ground floor. He pulled Bucky in close by his waist again, forehead pressed against the brunette's as he trailed his up Bucky's side.

“Would it be stupid to say I missed you?” he inquired, with an affectionate smile.

“Nah, I missed you too,” the brunette hummed.

Bucky brushed a patch of stubble along Steve's jaw.

“Someone didn't shave.”

“Wanted to see what you thought,” Steve said.

“I like it, suits you.”

Steve grinned, as he tilted his head to nestle it in the crook of Bucky's neck, breath ghosting against the brunette's skin.

“Happy birthday by the way,” he whispered.

“Thanks Stevie,” Bucky murmured, against Steve's shoulder.

They wandered out onto the streets of Manhattan, arms wrapped around each other as they journeyed up the street to their left. The restaurant was only a few blocks away, one that was a favourite of Bucky's, and one that he frequented often. Bucky didn't want to go all out on his birthday, a meal with good company would satisfy him any day. Steve had noticed Bucky was deep in thought, and squeezed his hip to get  his attention.

“We’re here already.”

Bucky looked up to see the restaurant coming into view.

“Shit, how quick did we walk?”

Steve smiled warmly.

“You were pretty deep in thought.”

Bucky's cheeks went pink.

“Sorry, I do that a lot.”

“Don't be sorry. I do it a lot too,” Steve reassured him.

As they entered the restaurant, Bucky saw a waitress do a double take at the sight of Steve. He knew her fairly well and shook his head a little at her, not wanting to have attention drawn to them. The last thing he wanted was people interrupting them when they were going to have a quiet dinner, together. She was quick to compose herself and make her way over to them, greeting them both with a smile.

“Evening gentlemen.”

“Steve, this is Nina, she's the finest waitress in Manhattan.”

Nina giggled shyly.

“I wouldn't know about that. It's a pleasure to meet you Steve.”

“Likewise,” he answered.

“So I reserved your usual seat Bucky, if you want to make your way over I'll grab the menu along the way,” Nina offered.

“Thanks.”

Steve leaned in close to Bucky's ear while they walked over to a booth at the back of the restaurant.

“How did she manage not to yell out about me?”

“‘Cause I shook my head at her when we came in. Didn't want any attention drawn to us. It's not to busy here anyway. But I just wanted to be sure. I know how much this date means to you as it does to me. Don't wanna” ruin it y’know?” Bucky replied.

“Yeah, wouldn't wanna’ see your birthday ruined either Bucky.”

“You’re real thoughtful Steve,” he hummed.

Steve and Bucky sat opposite each other at the booth, illuminated by a dim light and a candle in the middle of the table. Nina placed two menus down on the table, along with a drinks menu, then departed without another word to give them time to think over their order. Steve skimmed over the list of drinks, before handing it over to Bucky, who looked deep in thought perusing the food menu.

“Do you want to start with a beer?” Steve questioned.

“Hm? Oh...yeah, sorry, I do this every damn time I come in here.”

“It’s okay, you look peaceful lookin’ at a menu,” he chided.

Bucky lightly kicked Steve’s foot under the table.

“Stop.”

Steve’s mouth curved up at the corner.

“I was serious about what I said earlier. You look amazing.”

“Steve...” Bucky mumbled, while trying to shield his face behind the menu.

“C’mon Buck, don’t hide.”

“I’m not used to compliments, I rarely hear them,” he sighed.

“You’re kidding?” Steve gasped.

Bucky shook his head and shrugged sheepishly.

“I’m serious.”

“That can’t be right, I mean…you’re beautiful,” the blonde added.

Bucky’s hand slid across the table to grab Steve’s.

“You’re a sweetheart Stevie.”

Steve squeezed Bucky’s hand, then sat back as he reached into the inside pocket of his blazer, fishing out a hard leather sketchbook. Bucky’s eyes widened a fraction when Steve waved it in front of his face, before placing it down in front of him. It was the sketchbook he’d brought up when they first met, the one that Bucky had been so eager to look at. Now, it was in front of him and part of him felt like he didn’t want to touch it, like it was a delicate piece of art.

“Open it, there’s a gift in there for you.”

Bucky flipped the hardcover of the sketchbook open, revealing a detailed sketch of himself, with _‘Happy Birthday Bucky’_ scrawled next to it.

“Oh my god, Steve…I love it,” Bucky breathed out.

“I drew that from memory too.”

“I-I dunno’ what to say,” he stammered, as a huge smile spread across his face.

“Don’t. Your reaction is enough,” Steve soothed.

He pulled another gift from his pocket, a small box, wrapped in blue with a red bow on top. Bucky eyed it curiously, then started to unwrap it, where another messages was scrawled onto the top in silver writing.

“For your love of photography.”

Under the lid of the box was two silver cufflinks, in the shape of cameras, with ‘BB’ engraved on the side. Bucky’s jaw dropped as he stared at Steve in disbelief, prompting Steve to let out a faint chuckle.

“Steve seriously, this is too much!”

“And it’s your birthday, you deserve somethin’ special,” the blonde said.

“Would you put them on for me?” Bucky asked.

Steve took the cufflinks in his hand.

“C’mere.”

Bucky got up from the booth and stood beside Steve, holding his arm out to him, while Steve rolled the brunette’s sleeve down slightly to slip the cufflink into place. He did the exact same for the other side, as Bucky cupped the blonde’s face in his hands, before pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

After sitting back down again, Nina appeared at their table, holding a notepad and pen in her hands.

“Ready to order?”

Bucky glanced up at her.

“Sure. Can we get two bottles of Heineken, and I’ll have my usual. Thank you.”

Nina nodded and jotted down the order.

“And for you, Steve?”

“The grilled chicken sounds great, I’ll have that. Thanks,” Steve answered, flashing Nina a kind smile.

“No problem. I’ll get those menus out of the way and bring your drinks over in a moment,” Nina said.

Bucky turned his attention back to Steve’s sketchbook, flicking through page after page, admiring each sketch that Steve always signed off on when it was complete. He stopped at one drawing that Steve had sketched of the entire Avengers team, filled to the brim with so much detail and dedication.

“This one is great.”

Steve rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously.

“It took a lot of convincing to get them to stay like that while I drew them.”

“Seriously? You made them sit at the dining table for _that_ long,” Bucky laughed.

“Sure did. It worked, now I’ve got that sketch to prove it.”

“These really are wonderful Steve, there’s so much history here goin’ by the drawings at the start of the front,” he stated.

“Yeah, all of those are memories. Dunno’ what would’ve happened to my old sketchbook from back then,” Steve muttered, forlornly.

Bucky smiled sadly.

“I’m sure if it ever got found then someone looked after it.”

“Yeah, no point in mopin’ huh?” he replied.

“This sketchbook can be for your new memories.”

Steve smirked.

“Like you?”

Bucky held his hand against his mouth, clenched into a loose fist as he tried to hide the stupid grin on his face. Steve allowed his fingers to dance over Bucky’s palm, then down to his wrist, before bringing them back up to rest on his palm again. The brunette’s hand closed around Steve’s, eyes locked in a longing gaze, that spoke for their emotions more than words did. How they felt about each other was evident in the tender looks and affectionate touches, a connection that Bucky knew was _so_ rare to come by.

They became so caught up in the moment, they failed to realise that their drinks had been placed beside them, the caps also removed. Steve picked up his beer then held it up, as Bucky followed suit and clinked the necks of their beer together. Both of them took long swigs of the beer, tasting the bitterness while they also savoured it for a quiet moment. Steve found himself transfixed on Bucky, as he lifted the brunette’s hand and peppered two tender kisses to his knuckles.

“Happy birthday Buck.”

Bucky tilted his head to the side, which made the dim light above them highlight the shine in the brunette’s eyes. It was _there,_ where Steve came to the revelation that he wanted to see those gentle, blue-grey eyes _every_ morning.

_He wished this night didn’t have to end…_

* * *

Laughter and heavy footsteps echoed up the stairwell of the apartment building. It was a few minutes past eleven when Bucky decided to turn in for the night. He did, after all, have work in the morning for an important exhibition. But at the same time he was also dreading having to say goodnight to Steve. After such a fun date, saying goodbye was not something he came prepared for.

Shortly after they'd finished dinner and indulged in a dessert platter, they went for a walk, caught a late screening of a comedy movie at the cinema, then went to an arcade. Bucky thought they'd have dinner, go for a walk and conclude it there. But Steve seemed happy to keep the night going, thus, resulting in them staying out longer than planned. Not that Bucky complained much about that.

Steve's arm was wrapped around his shoulder, while he sought comfort against the blonde, arm held loosely around his waist. For some strange and unknown reason, they thought walking up four flights of stairs was a _‘fun’_ idea. Though, Bucky was beginning to not find it fun, given that he was starting to feel his energy wear off. The very thought of going to bed sounded perfect, but going it alone didn't sound perfect either. However, Bucky knew it was too early to ask Steve to stay the night, he wasn't going to push his luck.

Neither of them had even made a move to kiss each other throughout the entire night. Yet, that was something else Bucky didn't want to push for, despite the impending desire to kiss Steve. Whenever Steve laughed or smiled, he felt that ever growing urge to just lean in and plant one on him. But Bucky respected boundaries, he wasn't pushy, he could be patient, feeling comfortable was one of his main priorities for both sides.

“I can't believe you thought that plane would come back to you,” Bucky snickered.

Steve groaned and covered his eyes with his hand.

“My shield always comes back to me.”

Bucky clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

“A cheap, foam plane is different to a sturdy, vibranium shield Stevie.”

“I guess you're right,” Steve replied.

They walked up the final step onto the landing, right outside Bucky's apartment door, a moment of silence falling over them briefly. Bucky put his back towards the door, then looked up at Steve, while kneading the corner of his lip between his teeth.

“Alright, I guess this is me.”

Steve kept his hand on Bucky's waist and nodded.

“I had a really fun time Bucky.”

“So did I. Best birthday yet,” Bucky drawled.

“I wanna’ see you again. Whenever you're ready.”

Bucky grinned happily.

“I'd like that, I really would,” he replied.

Steve shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as his hand fell from Bucky's waist. Bucky shifted closer and pulled Steve into an embrace, before burying his face into the blonde’s neck.

“Thank you so much for bein’ such a sweet and carin’ guy.”

“You deserve nothin’ but the best Bucky,” Steve said, holding Bucky closer to him.

Bucky's hand rubbed small circles on Steve's back, as he sighed deeply, then parted from the hug.

“I'll call you tomorrow yeah?”

“Yeah, I'll be there to answer,” the blonde chimed.

The enthusiasm in his voice, as well as the smile on his face didn't reach his eyes. Both sides of his conscience were throwing conflicting thoughts inside his head, mostly based around what his next action should be. It was clear to him they were going to leave it as it was now, the ever lingering silence, but a deep need of not wanting to leave. So he simply stepped forward, gave Bucky a light peck on the cheek, then turned towards the stairs.

“Goodnight Bucky.”

Bucky swallowed down the lump in his throat.

“G’night Steve…”

Steve walked over to the top of the stairs, hand grasping around the railing as he stood, unmoving. He could hear Bucky fumbling for his keys, drop them, then fidget with the lock in the door. The urge he'd been clinging onto seemed to rear its head again, which pushed his conscience aside.

_Screw it._

“Bucky, wait,” he spoke up.

The apartment door was slightly ajar, but Bucky let it close with a soft click as he faced Steve again. Steve didn't necessarily _stalk_ towards Bucky, yet, he did look like he had an agenda in his head, maybe one Bucky wasn't expecting. He stopped in front of the brunette, whose back was pressed against the door, eyes focused on Steve.

“What’re you waitin’ for?” Bucky whispered.

“The right moment…”

Bucky's nose brushed against Steve's when he leant in, breath ghosting on his skin, hot and shaky. Steve's hands moved up to cup Bucky's face, as the brunette's hands fell to Steve's waist. He tilted Bucky's head back, lips grazing across his cheekbone, which drew a sharp gasp out from Bucky. His fingers gripped the hem of Steve's blazer, his bottom lip drawn in by his teeth, his eyes falling closed, waiting... _wanting._

“ _Please._ ”

Steve cradled the back of Bucky's head, drew him in close and kissed him. Bucky felt it from his head to his toes, that electrifying feeling he hadn't had since his first kiss in senior year. Steve's lips were tender, gentle and felt _right_ against the brunette's. He tried to stifle a moan, but failed, only prompting Steve to deepen the kiss, as his lips parted, then Bucky's. Their tongues met at a _slow_ glide, exploring and teasing the other, their breaths hot and mingling.

“Steve,” Bucky breathed.

They both parted from the kiss, chests rising and falling quickly, with their bodies still close, chest to chest. Bucky put one hand on Steve's chest, as he tried to catch his breath, gently biting down on his lip. Steve ran his thumb over the brunette's bottom lip, while their foreheads rested together, eyes still closed.

“Too far?” Steve asked.

Bucky laughed breathlessly.

“No...no. Just, I'd love to stay here and do that for longer. But, the work I've gotta’ do it's for an exhibition on Tuesday. My photography is going to be displayed there, and I've got models coming tomorrow to help with it.”

“I get it. You're gonna’ need all the sleep you can get,” the blonde chuckled.

“Yeah.”

Steve stroked his thumb over Bucky's cheek and stole one more quick kiss.

“I'm glad I did that.”

“Talk about takin’ my damn breath away Rogers,” Bucky chided, smugly.

“Plenty more where that came from.”

“I'm lookin’ forward to it,” he hummed.

Bucky pushed Steve away with his hand, and a sly smirk, before fishing out his keys again.

“Night Stevie.”

Steve tucked his hands into his pockets and lifted his head up, smiling contently.

“Night.”

Bucky slowly closed the door behind him after hearing Steve's footsteps receding down the stairwell. He breathed a sigh and slid down the door to the floor, shaking his head as he smiled, despite still feeling some denial of what just happened. _There's no way we just kissed_ he thought. He was going to have to believe it sooner or later, because the sensation of Steve's mouth on his still stayed put, making it clear that yes, they kissed. Bucky just needed to wait for the heavens to open up, as that was how it felt for him.

Suddenly, a wet nose hopped Bucky's hand, startling him in the moonlit room, before he realised it was Nessie. She dropped a piece of card by his feet, before wandering off to most likely go back to sleep. Bucky stared down at the paper, covered in a small splotch of dog drool as he squinted at it, with the little light that he had. On the back was a Stark Industries logo, causing Bucky to make a noise in the back of his throat. When he turned the card around, his eyes almost bugged out of his head at the message written on the back.

_You know who I am._

Bucky scrambled to his feet so fast he almost tripped over them.

“What the fu-”  

* * *

Steve arrived at Bucky’s studio the following morning for a visit. He’d heard from Bucky early in the morning, but his replies were very vague, and short. It worried Steve slightly, but he did recall that Bucky would be busy with prepping for an exhibition, which he could completely understand. There was a book under his arm that he said he’d loan to Bucky, as it’d been one that Steve really enjoyed, so he wanted Bucky to share that experience with him.

Once the elevator stopped on the second floor of a shared business building, Steve sauntered over to door seventeen, then knocked lightly on the door. He heard Nessie’s claws click against the floor, as well as an excited whine from the other side. Steve smiled, since Bucky had already told him he brings Nessie to the studio and knocked a little louder after hearing no other movement from inside. He was interrupted in his attempt to open the door, by the sound of the lock clicking, then the dull creak of the door being opened.

When Steve saw Bucky, his face fell. The brunette looked exhausted and his eyes were glassy, as he wiped a few tears away from his cheeks with his sleeve. Steve pushed the door open further, stepped inside, then closed it with his foot. Bucky sniffled softly, before wrapping his arms around himself, his eyes not meeting Steve’s. The blonde placed his book on whatever surface that was closest to him and reached towards Bucky to cup his face.

“Hey, hey. What’s wrong?”

“I...it’s dumb,” Bucky replied, shakily.

“C’mon Buck, you’re upset, what happened?”

“The models couldn’t make it for the shoot. So my plans for the exhibition are fucked up, ‘cause I had _everything_ planned. And I-I can’t pull photographs out of my portfolio, it _has_ to be new material. Everyone’s been ravin’ about my work and...I’ve got nothin’,” he choked out.

Steve dropped his hands to Bucky’s arms, coaxing him to come closer.

 

“C’mere, it’s gonna’ be okay,” he soothed.

Bucky wrapped his arms around Steve, as he broke down in tears again, his sobs muffled by Steve’s shirt. The blonde held Bucky tighter, while rubbing his upper back with comforting strokes, his voice hushed and tender. He pressed light kisses to Bucky’s forehead, then rested his head on the brunette’s shoulder.

“You’re gonna’ be fine.”

But Bucky only shook his head at Steve’s assuring words.

“Steve, it’s not gonna’ happen and I’m gonna’ be lettin’ people down. I dunno’ anyone else that could help with the photos. Even just _one_ person would be enough.”

Suddenly, Steve pulled back as he held Bucky at arm’s length, sporting a wide grin on his face.

“I just had a thought.”

Bucky rubbed his sleeve over his eye, while blinking away the fresh tears.

“Hm?”

“I’ll do it,” Steve suggested.

“Wait. _What?_ ” Bucky uttered.

“You said one person would work out fine for your photos. So I’ll do it,” he said.

“No, no, no. Steve I can’t ask you to do that,” the brunette replied.

Steve stared at Bucky pleadingly.

“Let me do this for you. Please.”

The brunette sighed deeply.

“Have you done anything like this before?”

Steve’s grin turned into a full blown smirk.

“Buck, I was made into a poster boy selling war bonds to active servicemen in the army, before I took it into my own hands to start savin’ people. I wore a corny outfit and posed for photos, but I picked up on it a little, despite not wanting to do it.”

“You’d seriously do this for me?” Bucky asked.

“Photography is pretty much your baby. I don’t wanna’ see you gettin’ upset. So of course I’ll do it for you,” Steve assured him.

“Steve I dunno’ what the hell to say!” he cried out, with a beaming smile.

“See? We can fix this,” the blonde said.

Bucky threw his arms around Steve, eliciting an overjoyed laugh as Steve chuckled and swayed from side to side with the brunette.

“You’re amazin’ Stevie.”

Steve moved his head to the side to meet Bucky for a chaste kiss, while Nessie nudged both their legs.

“Aw, hey Nessie, did you miss me?”

Nessie rolled onto her back as Steve scratched her belly, causing the boxer to kick her leg at every scratch. Steve snorted and gently patted her chest, before standing back up to face Bucky.

“So, where do you want me?”

Bucky narrowed his eyes at Steve with a coy smirk.

“That’s a little suggestive Steve.”

The blonde’s brow raised in surprise.

“I didn’t mean it like that!”

“I know,” Bucky laughed. “But I gotta’ tell you somethin’ first,” he added.

Now _that_ grabbed Steve’s attention.

“What is it?” he questioned.

Bucky started pacing up and down the room, his hands clasped together and placed against his mouth, as he pondered what to say. He glanced over at Steve, then took a deep breath, before letting his hands fall away from his mouth.

“Hamish had a pretty interestin’ guest last night.”

Steve frowned in confusion.

“Wasn’t it just someone on Grindr?”

The brunette shook his head slowly.

“Well...I guess. But, you know them.”

“Uh…what?” Steve said.

He watched Bucky pulled card out from his pocket, flip it around in his fingers, before he held it up to the blonde’s face. Steve looked at the card, then to Bucky, with eyes wide, and his jaw dropping open shortly after.

“Really?” he gasped.

“Yeah. I was surprised, maybe a little mad he didn’t tell me. Honestly, I didn’t shut up about it all night after you left. But...he said he enjoyed himself,” Bucky explained, with a lazy shrug.

“Life’s too short to question some of our actions.”

“Unless they’re bad,” the brunette pointed out.

“Point taken.”

Bucky slapped the card down on the table.

“Anyway. Welcome to my studio babe.”

“I'm gettin’ called that now?” Steve drawled.

“Uh huh, better get used to it.”

Steve followed Bucky, as the brunette stopped by a table, with portfolios scattered everywhere in groups. He peered over Bucky's shoulder to admire the photos inside them, some edited and some unedited. There was a variety of subject matter for Steve to look at, portraits, candids of animals, landscapes...but what caught his eye the most was the architecture photos. No matter what angle he admired them from, the depth and detail put into them left him astounded.

“These are breathtaking, Buck,” he breathed out.

His breath mingled against the back of Bucky's neck, sending a warm shiver down his spin, as he tried to not make it so noticeable.

“You think so?” Bucky murmured.

Steve kissed the back of Bucky's neck, delicately.

“Yes.”

Bucky felt Steve's hand glide under the hem of his shirt, fingers grazing his hip and then moving down lower. He gasped as Steve gave his neck a gentle bite, fingers grasping the edge of the table while his body rocked forward. Steve turned Bucky around to face him, lips meeting in a passionate kiss, their hands finding their rightful places.

“ _Steve._ ”

The blonde slid some photos to the side, hoisted Bucky up and sat him on the edge of the table. Bucky smirked, while biting down on his lip, his hands freely roaming over Steve's chest. He pulled Steve's jacket off his shoulders, down his arms, then carelessly threw it away. Steve pushed Bucky's legs apart with his knee and moved between them, his eyes half lidded and dazed.

“The hell are you doin’ to me Buck?” he chuckled, faintly.

“You tell me.”

Bucky was lowered down onto the table, one arm wrapped around Steve's neck as he pulled him forward. Steve pressed his mouth to Bucky's, but bit down teasingly on the brunette's bottom lip, bringing out a sweet moan from him.

“Wait, hold on,” Bucky whispered.

Steve stared at Bucky laying under him, eyes tender and attentive.

“If you don't wanna’ do this Buck, we can stop.”

“No it’s just...we should go to my office, where there’s a really comfortable couch,” the brunette suggested.

“Oh.”

Bucky’s hands found Steve’s arms, as he pulled himself up and took a hold of one of Steve’s hands. The brunette started to walk backwards, taking Steve with him, while his free hand came up to grab the blonde’s shirt. Steve tilted his head down to close the distance between them, kissing Bucky on the lips once, before trailing a line of kisses down his jaw to his neck. His hand shifted to Bucky’s lower back, fingers smoothing over bare skin and applying light pressure, causing the brunette’s body to arch into Steve’s.

They continued moving until Bucky backed himself into the door of the office. He fumbled for the handle on the door, then nudged the door open with his foot, his breath quickening when Steve kissed above his collarbone. Steve drew back from Bucky, removed his shirt and reached for Bucky’s seconds after. Bucky kept his eyes on Steve, as he swallowed thickly when he cast his eyes down at the toned muscle on Steve’s torso.

“ _Fuck..._ want you, Stevie.”

With his eyes fixed on Bucky, Steve smirked subtly, while pushing Bucky back against the wall. He pinned Bucky there, his leg placed between the brunette’s thighs, as he shut the door with a bit of force. His eyes were unwavering and his hot breath caught the corner of Bucky's mouth, prompting Bucky to sigh through parted lips. And when Steve's hand slid past the waistband of Bucky's jeans, he lost himself, becoming pliant, as Steve whispered softly to him.

“I'm all yours.”

* * *

_Steve-Rogers: We recaptured the sceptre. I’m gonna’ be back tomorrow._

_Eatmyplums: That’s great babe. You gonna’ come visit?_

_Steve-Rogers: Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to come to Tony’s party. We’re havin’ some victory party for getting the sceptre back. Gonna’ be lots of people there, thought you might want to be my date._

_Eatmyplums: Steve, you had me at party_

_Steve-Rogers: I’ll let you know the details. Hamish is welcome too_

_Eatmyplums: He would’ve loved to, but he’s flown back to Scotland for his uncle’s wedding_

_Steve-Rogers: Well, just you then_

_Eatmyplums: Can’t wait to see you_

_Steve-Rogers: My beard is growin’_

_Eatmyplums: Don’t tease me_

_Steve-Rogers: Wish you were here so I could do that_

_Eatmyplums: Stevie…_

_Steve-Rogers: Can I call you later?_

_Eatmyplums: Don’t need to ask_

_Steve-Rogers: I should go, we’re debriefing_

_Eatmyplums: Alright, lookin’ forward to talkin’ to you_

_Steve-Rogers: Me too, but I might wanna’ hear more than just you talkin’ afterwards_

_Eatmyplums: You really gotta’ stop teasin’ me!_

_Steve-Rogers: Can’t help it._

_Eatmyplums: Oh I bet_

_Steve-Rogers: I never did ask you…_

_Eatmyplums: What?_

_Steve-Rogers: Why’d you pick that username?_

_Eatmyplums: ...bite me Rogers_

* * *

_Bucky was terrified._

The victory party started off great. Bucky met so many new people, he even got some time to mingle with the other Avengers like Tony, Thor and Natasha. Steve also introduced him to Sam, who Bucky took a liking to immediately, despite losing twice playing pool against him. Then he saved some alone time with Steve, which was not so alone as he'd hoped, as they were still among guests. Nevertheless, Bucky felt welcome there. Yet, everything seemed to be going fine...until now.

What had been a fun and relaxing after party gathering with Steve, Tony, Thor, Clint, Bruce, Natasha, Rhodey, Maria and Helen, turned into chaos. Steve's arm was held out beside him, shielding Bucky, as a mangled robot staggered its way into the room. It's voice, so mechanical but also so human like that Bucky felt like he was dreaming.

_“There was a terrible noise. And I was tangled in...in strings. Had to kill the other guy. He was a good guy.”_

“You killed someone?” Steve questioned.

_“Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world we're faced with ugly choices.”_

“Who sent you?” Thor Interrogated.

_"I see a suit of armour around the world.”_

Bucky glanced over at Tony, who caught his attention for a brief moment, before looking back at Ultron.

“Ultron…” Bruce said.

_“In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission.”_

Something uneasy settled inside Bucky, as he continued to stare at the mess of mechanics in front of him, dripping fluid and sparking from shoddy wiring. But nothing... _nothing_ could prepare him for what happened next.

“What mission?” Natasha spoke up.

_“Peace in our time.”_

Iron Legion drones burst through the wall on either side of Ultron to attack them. Bucky was pushed back by Steve before he kicked a table to flip it onto its side, using it as a shield. Fear overwhelmed Bucky as he attempted to run to safety, amidst the fight. But it was only a bad move on his part.

“Bucky!”

Suddenly, a drone ambushed him from the left, giving him no time to protect himself. It crashed into him, throwing him backwards into a display with glass and boxes. The impact caused a shooting pain in Bucky's ribs, drawing out an agonised cry from the brunette, knees buckling under him when he tried to walk. He could feel blood running down the side of his head, from his nose and from his lip. It didn't amount to how he felt like he couldn't breathe with the pain in his side.

He looked up in time to see Tony stab a fondue skewer into a drone, disabling it, before he and the drone fell to the floor. Tony quickly regained his balance, then hurried over to Bucky, hands hovering over the brunette. Bucky whimpered and bit down on his lip, one arm held around himself as he sat hunched over. Tony carefully helped him to his feet, guided him up to a short set of stairs and had him hide behind a solid wall.

“Stay here.”

Bucky pressed his hand to his mouth and held it back to see blood staining his palm, eyes widening a fraction. A shaken sob from him did nothing to mask the glass shattering and gunshots that he could still hear. From the other side of the room, Clint’s voice called out to Steve. But Bucky couldn’t think of anything else other than wanting to get out of there, to safety.

“Cap!”

Steve rushed forward to grab his shield, his body flipping around to throw it, sending it soaring through the air. The shield connected with the last Iron Legion drone, slicing throw the centre to tear it in half, as it landed with a heavy thud on the floor. Then there was silence, so brief, yet it was clear how much the atmosphere had changed so dramatically.

_“That was dramatic. I’m sorry I know you mean well. You just didn’t think it through”_

The blonde stepped forward, with his eyes locked on Ultron, his chest rising and falling from breathing heavily. He could see Tony out of the corner of his eye, then gradually searched everybody else out. Only Bucky was missing.

_“You want to protect the world, but you don’t want to it to change.”_

He hadn’t seen Bucky get up after being attacked by a drone, nor could he hear him.

 _“How is humanity saved if it’s not allowed to...evolve._ _With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace…”_

A wave of panic started to sink in, more mentally, than physically, with Steve’s face remaining unreadable.

_“The Avengers extinction.”_

Without hesitation, Thor silenced Ultron by throwing Mjolnir, sending the wrecked drone into the wall.

_“I have strings…but now I’m free.”_

Steve glanced at Thor, then to the tangled mess of Ultron on the floor, just as the lights flicked out, leaving only one thing on his mind.

_Bucky._

“Bucky!”

“He’s upstairs...” Tony murmured, while pushing himself up off the floor with a groan.

As he ascended the short flight of stairs, Steve saw Bucky sitting behind the wall, staring down at the ground, with tears staining his cheeks.

“Oh Buck, hey. Are you hurt?”

Bucky flinched away from Steve when he attempted to check him over.

“Don’t.”

“Bucky…” Steve replied.

“I said don’t!”

Steve lowered his hands as Bucky averted his gaze, covering his mouth to mask the cries and sharp gasps that wouldn’t stop coming. His eyes stung from the tears, but they wouldn’t subside, too overcome by fear that quickly developed into anger. Part of him was furious that he let himself become involved like this. But the other part was pinning all the blame on Steve, without giving him an answer as to why.

“It’s over, we took care of it,” the blonde said, calmly.

The brunette whipped his head around to face Steve, his eyes glaring into the blonde’s with so much raw emotion that Steve couldn’t see any sign of light that used to be in his eyes.

“No. Steve it is _never_ over. That is not something that will go away, not now!” Bucky hissed.

Steve tried to take Bucky’s hand again, but he refused, lip quivering as he opened his mouth to speak again.

“But this... _us._ That’s over, Steve,” he whispered.

“No, no, no. Bucky c’mon we can fix this.”

Bucky winced and slowly began to stand up, using the wall as support, his other hand still resting against his side. He wasn’t sure whether his ribs were badly bruised or worse, he simply wanted to leave and get to the hospital. But Steve stopped him when he gently grabbed his elbow, eyes pleading.

“Please don’t do this.”

The brunette shook his head.

“I can’t do it Steve. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

“Can’t what?” Steve asked.

“I can’t be with someone where danger lurks around every corner. In my head I figured we could work with this. I think I was kiddin’ myself when I thought I was safe. But it follows you everywhere Steve. And I’m not ready for that…”

Hurt spread across Steve’s face as he tried to keep himself composed, though it proved difficult.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he said.

Bucky smiled sadly, then wiped a stray tear from his cheek, his breathing coming out pained and choked up.

“I don’t wanna’ either. But I need to.”

Steve ducked his head and shook it, feeling defeated. He couldn’t hold back the tears that had threatened to spill over, bringing his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Goodbye Steve...”

Bucky’s arm slipped from his grasp, and he didn’t stop him, he let him go, exactly as Bucky had asked. Steve watched him walk over to Tony, where they exchanged a few hushed words, then disappeared from his sight.

“Shit. Shit, shit, _shit,_ ” he cursed, under his breath.

Steve turned away to face the window, exhaling a sigh as his hands rested against his hips. A hand touched his shoulder, and Steve looked to see Natasha standing beside him, with a slight look of concern on her face.

“I lost him Nat…”

Natasha pulled Steve to her in a comforting embrace, her hands lightly patting his back.

“Shh, it’s okay. Come here,” she spoke, softly.

All Steve could think of doing was to hold Natasha tighter, and cry. So he did…

* * *

Keys jingled in the lock of the door, while a voice called from the other side, loudly.

“Honey I’m home!”

Hamish pushed the door open with his shoulder as he dragged his suitcase behind him, half expecting to be greeted by his pets, as well as Bucky. But all he could see were empty takeout containers and a few bottles of beer scattered across the kitchen counters. The apartment felt like all of the bright energy had been drained from it, the lights dim, with curtains drawn closed over the balcony door.

“Shite.”

He dropped his keys on the counter, placed the suitcase to the side, then hastily walked down the hallway to Bucky’s room.

“Bucky?” he called out, tapping lightly on the door.

“It’s open…”

Hamish was greeted by darkness, save for the light from a gap in the curtains by the window. He saw Magnus curled up on one of the pillows above Bucky’s head, while Nessie lay at Bucky’s feet, her head placed on his legs. She looked over at Hamish, with big, sad eyes, obviously sensing that something wasn’t right.

“Hiya wee darlin’.”

Nessie’s tail wagged for a brief minute when Hamish greeted her with a kiss on top of her head, before kneeling on the bed. He toed his shoes off, as they fell to the floor and lay down beside Bucky. The brunette had his back to him, but Hamish could see that his friend was dressed in clothes that he’d not changed out of.

“What’s goin’ on lad?”

Bucky groaned faintly while turning himself around, as Hamish reached over him carefully to switch the lamp on. His words became caught in his throat when he saw the bruise along Bucky’s jaw and the fading cuts on his head and lip.

“What the bloody hell happened tae ye?” Hamish asked.

“The party...I-he-”

“Slow down, tell me when yer ready,” he soothed.

“I was havin’ a great time, then the party finished and I stayed. It was kinda’ like an after party, then Ultron...he appeared as a drone from parts that Tony had in his workshop. He said he was on a mission. Somethin’ about peace in our time. Then there were a lot of drones, one of them-”

Bucky paused as tears welled in his eyes.

“Shh, easy now.”

“...it attacked me and I got injured. I was so fuckin’ scared Hames. It was like somethin’ you see in the movies but it was _real,_ it was happening. Tony got me somewhere safe and I just...lost myself. I didn’t know what was goin’ on until it was all over, the deafening silence, then Steve’s voice. But I got mad at him, more so than being mad at myself for bein’ so stupid to get into a relationship with somebody who had a target on their back.” Bucky explained.

“I wouldn’t put it that way.”

“Wouldn’t you! Don’t think that Tony doesn’t have a target on his back either, ‘cause he does!” he spat.

“Calm. Down.” Hamish bit back. “There’s no use yellin’ about it,” he added.

Bucky’s eyes flickered up to Hamish’s, glistening and bloodshot from non stop crying.

“I ended it with Steve.”

Hamish sighed.

“Why Bucky? Yer no less in danger now than when ye were wi’ Steve.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Bucky said.

“The world is full of dangers Bucky, not just these so called villains and fuckin’ aliens from space. There might be no targets on our backs, but sometimes we end up in danger when we don’t plan to. It happens.”

“I couldn’t stop how I felt Hames. What I saw and felt in that moment, it traumatised me, I’ve barely slept,” he muttered.

“I understand yer point lad. And ye’ve made yer choice. I can’t change it...but closing yerself off won’t help,” Hamish replied.

Bucky let out a sniffle and gripped Hamish’s shoulder.

“I needed you the most that night.”

Hamish moved in to hug Bucky tightly.

“Ah Bucky...I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he said, voice sounding hoarse.

“I missed you.”

His friend clutched Bucky closer to him.

“For fuck’s sake, I’m glad yer okay.”

Bucky felt Hamish’s shoulders start to shake, the build up to his friend letting out a sob of relief, reducing him to tears, again. He buried his face in Hamish’s sweater and wept with him, never wanting to let go of the last shred of comfort he desperately needed.

_Every good memory was now only a daydream._

* * *

Steve stared down at his phone while sitting at the dining table in Clint’s house. Some small part of him was still clinging onto the idea that’d he hear from Bucky at any moment. As the days grew longer he started to stop holding onto that hope, three weeks since the party gave him his answer. Bucky didn’t want to talk, and he needed to respect that, despite how much it pained him. All he wanted to know now was whether Bucky was doing okay, but he couldn’t even get that.

Nobody on the team brought up Bucky, not even after they gathered in the workshop to talk about Ultron. It only ended in an argument until he stepped in, after staying quiet and said they’d get through it together. But he wasn’t sure if he was being too optimistic, or trying to take his mind off Bucky. There was an empty place inside him, that used to be filled with the happiness he felt around the brunette. In truth, he missed him...greatly.

“Hey Cap, you still up?”

The blonde looked up to see Tony standing at the far end of the table.

“Yeah, couldn’t sleep.”

Tony moved around to the other side of the table and sat opposite Steve.

“This is about Bucky isn’t it?”

“ _God,_ Tony, you’re the first person to bring it up,” Steve sighed, after dropping his head in his hands.

“Cap, you haven’t been yourself, it’s obviously about Barnes.”

“Do you know if he’s okay?” he asked.

Tony’s body language made it look like he was apprehensive about the question.

“Stark, please.”

“He’s a little worse for wear,” Tony said.

“This is my fault, I should’ve been there to protect him.”

“He ended it with you remember,” the brunette stated.

Steve shook his head in response.

“He was scared Tony.”

Tony narrowed his eyes as he leant back.

“What’s different to how it is now, to when there was Loki, and the Chitauri attacking Manhattan?”

“Bucky was in Brooklyn then, he only saw it on the news. It’s nothin’ compared to what he had to go through three weeks ago. He got injured and you know that!” Steve argued.

“Keep your voice down, there’s kids sleeping y’know. But I get it Rogers, I do. And you’re right, it wouldn’t have had the same effect on him as Ultron did…”

“I miss him. We were goin’ great and then this happened. Should’ve tried to fix it but I didn’t want to pressure him,” he said.

“Cap, have you ever heard the phrase, it's not over till it's over?”

The blonde shrugged.

“Never figured out what it meant.”

“Whatever is going on between you and Barnes. It's not over until it completely plays out. Your story is only just beginning,” Tony explained.

“Are you suggestin’ I wait for him. You saw what happened that night Tony, you saw me begging him to stay. But then I let him go, because I thought that was the right thing to do, to prevent him from getting hurt again.”

“True, you can't stop people from getting hurt at times. That'd require wrapping them in bubble wrap. But you can try to make them happy. Which is what you did for Bucky, right?” he questioned.

“He was always smiling,” Steve admitted, with a fond smile.

Tony nodded, then stood up from his chair.

“See what I mean? Don’t give up yet Steve.”

“Sometimes that’s hard to believe when it seems that the other person has,” the blonde uttered.

The brunette stopped by the open doorway of the dining room, peering over his shoulder to look at Steve once more.

“Not when they love you.”

* * *

_“All passengers please prepare for boarding through gates six and seven.”_

Bucky watched people pass by in droves to the gates, some rushing to get to the front of the queue. He didn’t really understand why people did that, they would have to wait for everybody else to get onto the flight, as well as the all clear for the plane to go to the runway. There were a lot of things Bucky didn’t understand about others, but he wasn’t one to pry anyway. His attention went back to the coffee in front of him, while he sat tucked away in a corner of the airport lounge.

The brunette took a long sip from his coffee, only to scrunch his nose at the overpowering bitterness as he reached for a sugar packet. He had a book open in front of him that he’d read two pages of, despite buying it weeks ago, and a muffin sitting on a plate beside it. His flight wasn’t for another hour, so he had time to kill, but waiting at airports weren’t enjoyable either. If anything, he was glad that he got invited to go to Chicago after he’d recovered, his injuries having since healed.

As far as the topic of Steve went, it was an ongoing process. Bucky still thought about him, but didn’t let it cloud his mind when he had important work to get on with. Hamish barely brought him up, knowing full well the limits Bucky could take to discuss it before shutting himself down. It was hard going, yet Bucky knew he could work through it, even thought it was still hard to not think about all the joy Steve gave him. However, superficial wounds always healed quicker than a broken heart.

“We interrupt this news story to bring you breaking news from Sokovia.”

Bucky immediately turned his head to look at the flat screen TV mounted up on the wall. Not only did he stop what he was doing to watch it, but everybody else surrounding him was too. He looked over at the barista who stood in the cafe, then waved to get their attention.

“Can you turn that up?”

The barista grabbed a remote from under the counter, pointed it at the TV and turned the volume up higher. Bucky could see The Avengers fighting on the ground against multiple clones of Ultron, though not as advanced as him, but still strong enough. There was destruction everywhere and Bucky couldn’t look away. While the reported rambled about everything that was unfolding, the brunette barely listened.

Bucky couldn’t make out anyone on the ground, as he suddenly felt sick to his stomach. All of the guilt he’d harboured over the past few weeks was starting to show itself again. He’d yelled at Steve, painted it out that most of it was his fault, when in truth it was only Bucky’s fears getting the better of him. Steve was out there in Eastern Europe, fighting for the safety of _a lot_ of people and Bucky now realised where he went wrong.

In that moment at Avengers Tower, he’d allowed his fears to cloud everything he began to know about Steve Rogers. All he saw at that time was Captain America and nothing else. Steve was a lot more than that, which Bucky was given the chance to witness. Bucky could still be protected by him as much as he could by Captain America, if he’d only known him as that. But they met on different circumstances, which Bucky became blinded by with his selfishness to not fix it. There still _was_ time to fix it.

People around him gasped and pointed at the screen, as the camera got a better view. There was a wisp of red, white and blue, Steve's shield, which ricocheted off an Ultron Sentry before returning to Steve. Bucky's heart nearly lurched out of his chest when he saw Steve, battleworn but still alive. Only the feeling was short lived, when Steve was thrown onto a car and the camera jerked in another direction.

“ _No,_ ” Bucky gasped.

He stood up from where he sat, abruptly snatching his things up to shove them in his backpack. Calls went out that his flight was going to be leaving earlier, the time being cut to less than an hour. But Bucky didn't care, it was now or never. There were no more chances after this if he didn't do something. Now with his belongings thrown carelessly into his backpack, Bucky tossed it over his shoulder, and _ran._ It was either go to Chicago, or try to mend what was never truly broken with Steve

_He chose Steve._

* * *

Staring out of the quintet window, Steve peacefully watched the sunset over the city. Ultron was defeated and they were going home. The Avengers were moving to somewhere new, a vast and spacious facility in Upper Manhattan. They couldn't go back to Avengers Tower, so the facility was there new home. Steve, however, didn't feel like he was coming home. For him, Bucky started to feel like home.

“ETA three minutes everyone.”

Steve averted his attention from the window to look at Tony. He wasn't sure how everybody felt after the ordeal, exhausted, mostly. Banner was gone, off the grid, Clint was back at the farm, and they'd brought Wanda back too. Natasha passed by Steve, flashing him a tired smile as the blonde gave her a warm smile and her shoulder a squeeze. Where they all went from here, was unknown.

“Cap,” Tony said.

“Hm?”

“I just got told that somebody is waiting at the facility for you,” he replied.

“But I wasn't expectin’ anybody.”

Tony shrugged.

“Well it's what I was told.”

As they approached the hangar for the quinjet, Steve picked up his shield to take with him, his mind suddenly reeling. He couldn’t think of who it could be that was waiting to see him.

“Stark, are you sure there weren’t more details about who it is?” he asked.

The brunette shook his head.

“Nada.”

The blonde turned back to the face the back of the quinjet, as the engines started to slow down for the descent. His heart wouldn’t stop racing the closer they got to touching the ground, palms feeling clammy, which made him grip his shield tighter. There was a soft bump when they touched down, enough to make Steve’s body shift a little before he grabbed something to hold onto. The engines humming faded away and the ramp below Steve’s feet hissed, then opened slowly to the bright lit hangar.

Steve walked down the ramp with everyone else following behind him, talking quietly amongst themselves. He searched the room for whoever was waiting for him, but saw nobody. Part of him started to think he’d only been told that so he’d stop looking so down about Bucky. Which only turned his anticipation into anger, as he stormed over to Tony, who was talking to Natasha.

“Is this some kind of joke to you Stark?”

“Rogers, for once I need you to take what I said seriously,” Tony stated.

“There’s nobody here!”

“Yes there is,” he said.

“Steve...”

Bucky stood in the same spot where Steve stood only a minute ago, his hands tucked comfortably in his pockets. He looked better than how he did the night of the party, wounds now completely healed, but also better to how Tony described it over a week ago.

“Buck.”

The brunette nodded and swallowed thickly.

“Welcome home.”

Steve exhaled a giant sigh of relief, hurried over to Bucky and wrapped his arms around the brunette’s waist in a strong embrace. Bucky grasped the fabric of Steve’s suit and broke down in his arms.

“I’m so sorry Stevie,” he cried.

“It’s okay, I’m okay,” Steve choked out, shedding tears of his own.

All of the emotions from the past month had caught up to both of them, from when they first met, to when they thought they were going to say goodbye for good. Bucky rested his hand on the back of Steve’s head, cradling at as he glanced over at Natasha and Tony. He smiled at them, in a way of saying thank you without having to vocalise it, as the pair nodded and left the room.

“I saw everythin’ on the news, but I didn’t know if you were gonna’ make it back.”

Steve pulled back to stare at Bucky, while his thumb absentally came up to wipe tears from the brunette’s face.

“Couldn’t leave you behind Buck.”

Bucky smiled through a stifled sob as he leant into the touch of Steve’s hand on his face, his own hand sliding up to rest on the blonde’s.

“I was so damn selfish Steve. I let my fears cloud how I actually knew _you._ We we had something great and I was gonna’ throw that all away because all I saw in that moment was this.”

The brunette tapped the star on Steve’s suit.

“That’s not who you are, truly. I know you. And I’m so sorry for hurting you.”

“I’m sorry too,” Steve said. “What made you come back?” he asked.

“‘Cause my stupid ass fell in love with you, you idiot,” Bucky confessed, with a chuckle.

Steve’s eyes softened with an overwhelming amount of affection.

“I love you too, Buck.”

Bucky’s eyes fell closed when Steve swooped in to kiss him, taking him back to that night of their first date. His arms snaked around Steve’s neck as he was drawn in closer, fingers combing through Steve’s hair. Steve drew back and brushed his nose against Bucky’s, peppering soft kisses to his cheek, before moving back to his lips. There was a lot more _emotion_ and _want_ in the kiss, healing and bringing them close again. So when they finally pulled apart, they had to catch their breaths.

“Jeez Stevie, that was a hell of a kiss.”

Steve smirked as he dropped his hand to Bucky’s lower back.

“You did just say you loved me, Bucky.”

The brunette hummed.

“Hm, I like the beard you’ve got here.”

“Should I keep it? Steve questioned.

“Don’t ask dumb questions Rogers,” Bucky snorted.

“You didn’t give me an answer,” he replied.

“Yes,” the brunette said.

Bucky rested his forehead against Steve’s, then pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

“Let’s go home Steve.”

Steve pulled Bucky into his arms again, as the brunette’s head rested on Steve’s chest.

“I’m already home...”


End file.
